REPENT FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS NOW AT HAND

 

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO

REPENT FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS NOW AT HAND

If you have your Bible, we will be looking at TWO verses. John 3:16 as our introduction and Matthew 4:17 as our focus verse. (And yes that is rights. Just 2 verses today).

Before we start, I want to say something about The Bible and why it is important that we take the time and effort to know the Word it contains and why we must be careful to stay within its boundaries and confines. The Bible Itself says we must not stray. Joshua 1:7-8 says, we are “not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may achieve success wherever you go. (And that) this Book shall not depart from our mouth, but we shall meditate on it day and night, and that we are careful to do according to all that is written in it; for it is only then you will make your way prosperous, (as the Bible describes prosperity), and then you will achieve success” in the matters concerning this Word and in its application to our lives.

Secondly, the Bible tells us that it is the without any error, inerrant, infallible, indestructible, and the inspired, Breathed Word of God.

It is CREATIVE, CAUSATIVE, INSTRUCTIONAL and PROPHETIC. It is Prophetic in the sense that it tells the Truth to you and when you are in Him and His Word is in you, it will tell the Truth THROUGH you!

And finally, it is “profitable for teaching, for our rebuke, for our correction, for our training in righteousness; so that we, the men and women of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work.”

THE GOOD NEWS!

 John 3:16-17, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him”.

 So that the word might be SAVED through Him. SAVED. Just what does that word bring to your mind?

“To be saved – SOZO – in the Bible, means to be rescued from destruction and brought into divine safety“. To deliver or protect— (From Strong’s Bible Concordance).

SAVED:  To be made safe, to be made healthy, to be made whole (complete with purpose), NOW and for all of eternity,

Made safe, to be made healthy, to be made whole In your body. In your mind. In your soul and spirit.

Made safe, to be made healthy, to be made whole In your home. With your family, your children, your spouse and relatives. In your work. With your friends. In every aspect of your life.

(This is not a magic formula or a spell. It is the Word of God through your faithful, submissive obedience in following Jesus.

This is the Good News that God gave John to proclaim.

This is the Good News and the reason God sent us His Son. Jesus.

This is the Good News that Jesus proclaims to the world, then and now.

And this is the reason Jesus sends His followers, His disciples, into the world – to tell the world about this Good News.

And how would that to happen?

Now, come with me as we step back in time to around A.D. 30, when Jesus appeared on the scene in Galilee.

Matthew 4, verses 12 through 17.

“Now when Jesus heard that John had been taken into custody, He withdrew into Galilee; and leaving Nazareth, He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. This happened so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled:

 “THE LAND OF ZEBULUN AND THE LAND OF NAPHTALI,

BY THE WAY OF THE SEA, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE JORDAN, GALILEE OF THE GENTILES —

THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SITTING IN DARKNESS SAW A GREAT LIGHT,  (SAW A GREAT LIGH”)

AND THOSE WHO WERE SITTING IN THE LAND AND SHADOW OF DEATH,

UPON THEM A LIGHT DAWNED.”   A LIGHT DAWNED.

Gensis 1:1 tells us that God said “let there be light”; and the Words of God in Matthew 4:16 are no less significant, no less creative and now less prophetic that those from Genesis 1.

Then In verse 17,  read, “From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

This is Jesus’ first known and His shortest sermon.

In Matthew 4:17, the Bible tells us, FIRST that “From that time” what time is this? This can be considered as one of the most important historical time markers in the Bible – it is a line of demarcation.

This is the point Jesus began His earthly ministry as commissioned by God the Father, and

 This is beginning of the invasion of earth by the kingdom of heaven! The greatest of all spiritual wars has begun!

 GOD is announcing that He has come back to reclaim what is His and those who are His! He is here to take His land and to take His kids back from the devil’s captivity – you and me and millions more like us.

 This event is a NEW dawn, a NEW beginning – no less fantastic that when in the beginning God said, “LET THERE BE LIGHT”, GOD is now saying “A GREAT LIGHT HAS DAWNED”.

 And like we recited earlier in the Lord’s Prayer, “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”, Jesus is saying that time is at hand!

Next we are told that, “Jesus began to preach and say”,  the word used here from the Greek language is ‘kerusso’. This is NOT a casual statement nor is it just a narration. It is a word of formality, gravity and an authority which must be listened to and obeyed; something which has been done, first in the Spiritual realm and to be manifest in the natural.  It is not a general statement nor is it a request.  It is PROPHETIC command. Kerusso!

Next, let’s notice that Jesus says “Repent”. What is often overlooked but should be  glaringly obvious is that Jesus does not tell us WHAT to repent from. We typically assume we are to repent of our sins. But that is not what He actually says. He simply says, “Repent”.

But REPENT from what?

“Repent, (‘metanoeo’), from the Greek, means to change one’s mind – to change one’s mind for the better.

And if it is that we are to REPENT of our sins, it is just as important to know that the word Sin, from the Greek word ‘hamartia’ – literally means to be without a share in; to miss the mark. To miss the mark both of  all that God has intended for your life and all that He has for you now, and for all of eternity.

It is commonly accepted that Jesus meant that we are to heartily amend, with abhorrence of our past sins. And it can mean that and it DOES mean that. BUT IT MEANS SO MUCH MORE.

So, when Jesus says to REPENT, the overall meaning, the connotation of this word it to CHANGE AND CONDITION YOUR MIND TO THINK LIKE JESUS, TO SEE THINGS FROM HIS PERSPECTIVE AND TO RESPOND IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCE AND SITUATIONS OF LIFE AND DEATH AS JESUS DOES.

This requires a radical redefining or our understand. It demands that we turn our minds to what Jesus sas and what He means – even if it makes us uncomfortable.

Jesus is saying that REPENTANCE is a radical reformation and shift in our paradigms. It is a change in our attitudes, and of our mindset, our will and emotions from how we naturally see things to HOW JESUS SEES THINGS. It is a change in the all the choices we make in life so WE CAN SEE THEM AS JESUS SEES THEM.

 Jesus is saying we must change how see or view and deal with our relationships with others, our families, marriage, and even our disputes. How we react to being wronged, how we give of ourselves, of our time of our resources. How we view work, money, wealth, and anxiety. How we view our community, our country and the world and how we view the lost – from how we see them to HOW HE SEES THEM. We must see the world around us and what Jesus is commanding of us AS HE SEES IT.  THAT IS TRUE AND COMPLETE REPENTANCE.

 We begin to see that the Words of Jesus are life giving words. They protect us, they guide and direct us. They strengthen us and provide us with purpose and hope.

And finally, in this verse, Jesus says, for the kingdom of heaven is now at hand (The words ” the Kingdom of Heaven” are so descriptive that you must take the definition of each word and consider the impact and importance. 

 The Kingdom of God is now at hand, describes the long awaited arrival of the Messiah who is now to establish His Kingdom on earth. As the “Lord’s Prayer” even says, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”.  A Kingdom of forgiveness, of grace, mercy, justice and eternal salvation.  A Kingdom conquering death, disease, sin and darkness.

 His Kingdom is a royal power, a kingship, dominion, rule and the right or authority to rule over a kingdom; the royal power of Jesus as the triumphant Messiah and the royal power and dignity conferred on Christians in the Messiah’s kingdom.” This is our calling and our role as Christians, Disciples of Jesus,

And finally, the phrase, the kingdom is now “At hand.”  (“At hand” comes from a Greek word of with a meaning like the ‘crook of your arm’ and with the action like a mounting wave which has the power to knock you off your feet and roll you over and over; indicating a distance which is as close as your hand is to your wrist, AND as Luke 17:21 puts it, “the kingdom of God is now within you”. Romans 10:8 ALSO tells us, that “THE WORD (OF GOD) IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART”.

Jesus is saying, we are to “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is now at hand”.

Now, FINALLY – Here is a Mystery: 

Believe it or not, and as strange as it may seem, the One who spoke these prophetic words, possesses the power which is able to transform your life, so radically, so completely, so thoroughly, that those who knew you beforehand, would hardly recognize you afterwards.  In fact, if and when you embrace and absorbed His Words into your heart, mind and soul as His devoted follower you would hardly be able to recognize yourself when the process is complete.

You might even have to ask yourself, “Can I really be that man or that woman who went about under my name before?”

You are, in one sense the same person, but in another sense, you will have become someone utterly different. Made new. Reborn. A new creation.

This can be most easily accepted by a new believer, as the rest of us may think, “yes, I have already done this”. But when Jesus, speaking to Nicodemus, said, “you must be born again”, He spoke those words in the Aorist tense which means this is a continuing action. The Aorist tense has no regard for the past, present or the future. In this tense they are one-in-the-same. In others words, “In Christ Jesus, you are born anew, each and every day”. He is not saying you must be saved over and over. He is saying our repentance and rebirth in Him is made new and refreshed each and every day. This sanctifying process of perfecting us into the image and likeness of Jesus continues until we are, one day, home with Him, at last!

Please understand that what I am about to say, does not negate the trials, tribulations and troubles we will face in this life. They are part of our being sanctified. Nonetheless, this intensely real power to which I am referring, can pick you up today – right now – from the midst of loneliness, failure, ruin, misery, despair or any difficulty, and in the twinkling of an eye, as Paul said, IN THE MIDST OF THE PROBLEMS YOU FACE IN LIFE, He can begin to solve those problems, smooth out the difficulties, cut you free from entanglements and place you clear, safe and happy upon the highroad of freedom and opportunity – IF YOU CAN UNDERSTAND HIS PLAN AND PRUPOSES, AND ARE WILLING AND ABLE TO ENDURE THIS PROCESS.

Does this mean your will always be physically well or mentally strong or rich by the worlds standards or famous? No. No. A thousand times no.
But it does mean that you can find purpose and meaning and usefulness in even the worst of life’s circumstances.

He can free you to go and shape your life as God would have it – a life full with purpose and of promises met.

He can throw open the MANY prison doors that hold you captive, and liberate you.

He is the healing balm for the bruised and broken heart.

He can inspire you with new thoughts and ideas, so that your life’s work may be truly original, meaningful and lasting.

He can impart new and wonderful kinds of knowledge, as soon as you really want such knowledge – glorious knowledge – strange things not taught in schools or written in ordinary books.

He can find your true place in life, and put you into it, too.

He can find the right friends for you, kindred spirits who are interested in the same ideas and want the same things that you do.

He can provide you the type of  prosperity that means freedom.  Not as the world knows prosperity.  But the type of prosperity that means true Freedom.  Free to be and to do and to go as God has called you to be and to do.

This Power of God can teach you all things you need to know, if only you are receptive and teachable.

But Jesus said, “You must first repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand”.

So, if your life is lacking the continuous flow of the fruit of the Spirit, the love, the joy, the peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, Now, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is now at hand.

If your life is missing out on the works that Jesus did, and even greater works of teaching and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom which can heal all kinds of sickness and diseases, Jesus says today is the day of your salvation – repent, for the kingdom of heaven is now at hand.

If you are living in loneliness, fear, doubt lack and want, Jesus says today is the day of your salvation – repent, for the kingdom of heaven is now at hand.

If you are and your behaviors are “friendly” with the world but at odds with the Words and Teachings of Jesus, Jesus says today is the day of your salvation – repent for the kingdom of heaven is now at hand.

You know, from the day we are born until the day we die, the 23^rd Psalm tells us that we will walk through the valley of the shadow of death in this lifetime. And that God has set at table  before us in the presence of your enemies, and that He has anointed our heads with His Oil and that our cup overflows. And His goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives. And our dwelling place will be in the house of the Lord, forever.

The day of our salvation is now at hand. You can experience the richness of being saved. You can feast at the table He has set before you, even in the presence of your enemies of lack, want, sickness, poverty disease, loneliness and the like. You no longer need to miss the mark or to be left out of the things He has prepared for your life to Bless you and to prosper your soul.

You are made safe, and rescued from eternal harm. You will have found a rich and fulfilling purpose in and for your life, now. You can be made secure in all your relationships and in all the matters of your life. You can be assured of an eternal life with Him. THIS IS THE TABLE HE HAS SET BEFORE YOU.

For the kingdom of heaven is now at hand!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

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