The Kingdom of God Is More Than a Destination

The first European settlement in American was is 1607. Jamestown Settlement was in what is now Virginia.  In the first 20 years, 4 out of 5 of over 6000 settlers were killed by starvation, Disease, and war with local Indians.  That’s over 4800 Dead.  

10 Years later, the Plymouth Colony lost half of its founding 102 members to similar causes in the first year.

In 10 more years, a Third attempt faired better.  The Massachusetts Bay colony would later merge with the Plymouth colony and redefine life in the new world.

The Puritans story begins in England over a hundred years earlier.  In the early 1500s the Catholic Church began to splinter during the protestant Reformation.  During this time, the English Catholics split off and formed the Church of England.  Over the years the English monarchs sought to reform this version of Catholicism but the puritan movement was formed by exceled Clergy unhappy with the reforms from Catholicism.   They sought to purify the church of all Catholic elements.   There were two groups of Puritans, those that worked within the Church of England to reform it from the inside.  These Puritans persisted until all-out war broke out with the Crown causing the English Civil war.

This lead to a number of people wanting to flee what they saw was an intolerable environment for worship.  In 1630, John Winthrop led 700 Puritans to the new world to create a new God Fearing society.

As the first Puritan vessels reached land in what is now In a sermon entitled,  A Model of Christian Charity, also known as the City on a Hill, John Winthrop laid out what would be their future.  Jamestown was avoided by the Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth Rock but they failed in part because the Puritans among them separated from the rest and divided they suffered.  John Winthrop was determined not to repeat the mistakes of those before.

He told them that the world was watching whether they failed as those before or if they succeed.  The only way to succeed he said, “the only way to avoid this shipwreck and to provide for our posterity is to follow the Counsel of Micah, to do Justly, to love mercy, to walk humbly with our God”.

People who fail to do God’s will suffer His wrath and will become this shipwreck of his warning.  The Puritans were largely successful with mortality rates even lower than England.  But with all of their success, it was not the Kingdom of God. 

Brethren, we wait and hope for a Kingdom unlike any on earth.  The Puritans believed, for a while that they could have a perfect society on earth.  But that is exactly what we wait for and it can be a reality for us if we pursue it earnestly.  In that we can learn some important lessons from the Puritans early attempt at the KOG.

The Title of the Sermon is:

The Kingdom is more than a destination; it’s a method of travel

The title is a paraphrase from this year’s Chairman’s Address Robin Webber at the GCE.  Now what is meant by a method of travel rather than a destination?  How many stories have you read about or watched in some for where a group sets out for some destination and because of hardships and circumstances, are left to their own character to succeed.  Shipwreck stories, expedition stories, and even the failures along the Oregon Trail. 

People not prepared for the journey and hardships will eventually fail and never reach their destination.   The Apostle Paul poses this basic question to the church in Rome.

Romans 8:35   35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

You see, what Mr. Webber was getting at is that it is not the trials that cause us to fail.  If we fail, then we did it wrong.  I have often said, if the Sabbath is a burden then you are doing it wrong. 

That doesn’t mean that everything will go right for us.  Paul says here that there is nothing in heaven and earth that should be able to separate us from the Love of God.  But we can separate ourselves if we approach the Kingdom of God as just a Destination.

So how do we approach the Kingdom as a Mode of travel?  Quite simply, it is the way in which we live our lives. Like when we are driving, if everyone follows the rules of the road then you arrive safely at your destination.  Today I am going to give you 3 methods of travel to ensure we follow the correct path and safe arrival in the Kingdom.

1.Our journey should look a lot like our destination 

Now in this life, when we look out our windows we don’t see the kingdom so how do we follow this rule of the road.  Matthew 6 speaks about the worries of this life that often keep us up at night.  In the Kingdom we will not have to worry about daily needs but now these are constant concerns.  So how do you obey this rule?  In verse 31, Jesus finishes a long section about all the things that we worry about and then he says:

Matthew 6:31 - 7:1   31 "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'  32 "For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  34 "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Now, can you put this in practice?  When hard times come do you think about the deliverance or the impending trial?  What are we focused on?  When we have the Kingdom straight in front of us, we can go in no other direction and then, we are promised to have our needs looked after. 

How many times did God deliver Israel only to have them complain?

Exodus 16:1-3  NKJ And they journeyed from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to the Wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they departed from the land of Egypt.  2 Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.  3 And the children of Israel said to them, "Oh, that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger."

This was the pattern.  They were shown great mercy by God and then, soon afterward, they forgot and the next trial would be their last.  This incident was one month after they left Egypt.  They had just been through the Red Sea and saw the greatest army on earth defeated by God and now, hunger and thirst was going to kill them.

Brethren, do you see this pattern in your life?  When a trial comes does you mind go to the worst thing that can happen?  If it’s a health problem then you dwell on it being life threating until we are relieved of it.  If it is a trial at work, we think we are going to be fired.  If it’s financial, then you think about being ruined.  Why do we do this?  I have heard some say that thinking of the worst case scenario is the best way to prepare them for what’s to come.  I disagree.  I believe you pray for deliverance and hope for the best.  If the worst comes then God must believe we are ready to handle it. 

Another way of making our Journey to the kingdom look like our destination is to live each day as if you are there, no matter what’s going on around you. 

Mahatma Gandhi, was no stranger to a life of trials.  But he was right when he said: “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” Now, his was a life of civil disobedience but ours should be a life of Justice, Mercy and Faith.  The weightier matters of the law.  Spend some personal bible study about how God judged Israel on how they treated one another.  How they conducted business affairs and how they got along with one another.  How they let, or did not let, their light shine.  Matthew tells us to let your light so shine that people around us worship God by our example. 

2.If the KOG is our destination then we much choose the right road now.

We have been attending the different end of the High School Concerts and other events and the one prevailing theme is what those Kids want to do for the rest of their lives.  It was refreshing to hear one kid named Christian say that he wanted to study theology and be the best Christian he could be.  So often the goals are very secular and they reach for the stars.  Now this is not all bad, we need to have scientist, doctors, and other professionals also.  But what I am talking about is how so many people are trying for personal fulfillment: what will make me happy.  For some it is fame.  For others it is a powerful Job.

One thing that will happen to each of us is God wants to know what is at the depths of our heart.  Do we want His kingdom above all else?  If so then it will come out in how we live our lives each and every day.  Does your life revolve around your next big get away?  Are you a workaholic, or do you want something in life that will take you away from family and friends.

When I was a teen, this is a story I have already shared in the Teen/YA study, I was given a choice by God as to which road I wanted to take for my life.  Growing up in the church I did not have many friends my age.  As big as the church was, we were in a rather small area.  On top of that I didn’t really fit in in school either since I kept the Holydays and skipped activities that often landed on the Sabbath.  But when I got older we moved to a new area and I started having friends and enjoying school.  I was in a number of the school bands and we performed a lot and there were many social opportunities with the school kids. I ended up compromising a little for the sake of fitting in.  I dated girls from school and hung out. 

I still tried to keep one foot in the church because I had spent 7 years learning a way of life that was now at odds with my new life at school.  To be honest, I don’t know how my future would have turned out if God had not intervened. In this new area we also went to a new church area with lots of teens my age.  For a while I enjoyed doing both activities and living it up.  But after a few months, it became impossible to keep doing both.  Now, all of a sudden, the activities were in constant conflict with one another.  I had to choose, which life did I want?  I know what it’s like for Kids growing up in the church and not having much to hold them here.  They know this is the right way to live but having friends means so much to our young people I am so impressed with so many parents that move heaven and earth to allow their kids to be with other kids in the church for outings, Holy Days, and special events.

In chapter 29 of Deuteronomy, Moses reminds Israel what they had agreed to and proceeds to give two paths that they might travel.  One was filled with Blessings.  In great detail God promised to give them prosperity and wealth beyond their wildest of dreams.  He Only wanted their hearts.  He would bless their offspring, the households, their farms and their animals.  Israel would become like the sand of the seashore. 

But, there was another path. This path was one of Cursing’s.  He said if they followed after the ways of the world and worshiped other Gods then they would be utterly wiped out.  In verse 19:

Deuteronomy 29:19   19 Let none of those who hear the warnings of this curse consider themselves immune, thinking, 'I am safe, even though I am walking in my own stubborn way.' This would lead to utter ruin!

Moses then tells them in the next Chapter that if they are exiled and then repent then God will bring them back to their land.

Deuteronomy 30:15-20   NLT "Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between prosperity and disaster, between life and death.  16 I have commanded you today to love the LORD your God and to keep his commands, laws, and regulations by walking in his ways. If you do this, you will live and become a great nation, and the LORD your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and occupy.  17 But if your heart turns away and you refuse to listen, and if you are drawn away to serve and worship other gods,  18 then I warn you now that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live a long, good life in the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy.  19 "Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, that you and your descendants might live!  20 Choose to love the LORD your God and to obey him and commit yourself to him, for he is your life. Then you will live long in the land the LORD swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."

We to have a choice.  We are not promised a land to live in this life.  We are not promised prosperity in this life. We are not promised nationhood in this life.  In fact we are promised hardship in this life.  What we are promised comes in the next life.  After the return of Christ.  Their covenant was for blessings in this life.  Our covenant is for blessings in the next.

But even though we are promised hard times in this life, we still have to make a choice to follow God’s way of life now.  That’s why our choice is often hard to make.  I have passed on so many job opportunities because they were in conflict with my faith.  I have said not to jobs that anyone else outside the church would have jumped at.  And it has cost me, in the short term.  But I made my choice long ago and I intend to keep this course I have chosen.

3.We must be willing to cast aside the distractions along the way.

Nothing makes this rule clearer than the bumper sticker that states, “He Who Dies with the Most Toys Win”.  We know this is no way to get to the kingdom.  We are not here just to have fun. In some respects, this third rule of the road is related to our previous rule.  We are making a choice on which way to live.  But often times we choose things that on the surface don’t conflict with God’s way of life.  But after a while, these choices may become a huge distraction.

Mark 10:17-24   17 Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"

Now if you read all of the Gospel accounts of this story you see that this is a rich young ruler of good character.

 18 So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.  19 "You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Do not defraud,' 'Honor your father and your mother.' "

Each of the Gospels have a slightly different list here.  Some add do not defraud, while others say love your neighbor as yourself.  But the gist here is that we should follow not only the 10 but the two great commandments and even the magnification of the commandments Jesus gave in Matthew 5. 

20 And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth."  21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me."

Now this gospel is the only one to mention that Jesus had love for him.  The word love here is from the Greek Agapeo (to be fond of, to love dearly 2) to be well pleased, or contented with)

NJB Mark 10:21 Jesus looked steadily at him and he was filled with love for him,

NLT Mark 10:21 Jesus felt genuine love for this man as he looked at him.

 22 But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.  23 Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!"  24 And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!

Here was a guy that was in a tough spot.  You see, in the Old covenant, if you obeyed God then you would be blessed in this life.  This is one of the reasons that the Jewish leaders often used their position to get ahead so that they could seem to be blessed by God for their Piety.  But this young man was apparently doing thing the right way and God was blessing him. But now Jesus asks him to make a huge sacrifice.  Not just give up his wealth, but his position in the community, and his reputation.  He had so much to lose. 

That is why it is often so easy for those without wealth to forsake all and come to God because they aren’t giving much up.

But we can be distracted on our road to the kingdom with roadside shops and attractions.  Hobbies can become major time and resource centers in our lives.  I have seen hobbies take people out of the church.  I talked to the wife of someone I knew growing up who left the church back in the 90s.  She grew up in the church but was on the outside looking in and missed it.  Fortunately, we know that God is waiting with open arms for those that will forsake the trappings of this life for Him.

When we are fully committed to Him our priorities change.  We spend more time with the brethren and our thoughts are of serving and for the Kingdom to come.  When we make the right choice then God fills in the gaps in our lives and makes us feel whole like we never could on the outside.  It doesn’t mean we can’t have nice things or do fun things.  It keeping the road in front of us and following Jesus Christ first in our lives.

Another great Bible study you can do is in all of the encouragement we are given in scripture for choosing to follow God and serve Him.

So the 3 methods of travel that will ensure we follow the correct path and safe arrival in the Kingdom are:

1.Our journey should look a lot like our destination 

2.If the KOG is our Destination then we much choose the right road now

3.We must be willing to cast aside the distractions along the way

If we follow these methods of travel then our destination will be sure.