The Kingdom of God
Mark 1:14-20
Introduction
There are some historical moments in the preaching of God’s Word – that I would love to go
back in time – and be an observer of the moment
I would love to have heard Charles Spurgeon preaching in the Metropolitan Tabernacle in
London - - - in 1850s – and dedicate the new building with these words:
“I am never ashamed to avow myself a Calvinist; I do not hesitate to take the name of Baptist;
but if I am asked – what is my creed, I reply – it is Jesus Christ.’
I would have loved to have been around to hear George Whitefield speak the gospel to the
masses on both sides of the Atlantic – 1700s
I would have loved to hear Elijah preach to the people of Israel - - - ‘How long will you hesitate
between two opinions – if the Lord is God – follow Him ; but if Baal – follow him.’
He then went on to call down fire from heaven upon the sacrifice
Peter on the Day of Pentecost – challenging the Jews of Jerusalem – who had just witnessed the
crucifixion of Jesus weeks earlier
But the greatest moment in the history of preaching – has to be the moment Jesus arrived in
Galilee and began to preach the Kingdom of God
He invited to come and become citizens of God’s kingdom
That was a grand moment in history – and the invitation still goes out today
What does it mean to be a citizen of God’s kingdom?
Recently – a Fox News Correspondent – received a letter from an immigrant – who moved here
from India - and is now a U.S. citizen.
Dear Mr. Starnes,
I am a first generation Naturalized American who was born in India. I am neither white, nor
black or Hispanic, I am just a person who came to a land of opportunity with a dream. I have
traveled some in this world and to the best of my knowledge I have not known of any other
country where some of the people desecrate their flag, disavow their National Anthem or
tear down their own country. If I am wrong please straighten me out. BUT if I am right, then
please address how do we expect any other country to respect ours when we do not respect
it ourselves?
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When I became a US citizen, I took an oath denouncing my allegiance to my old country and
even agreed to take up arms against my former country if asked to by the USA . . . do oaths
mean nothing anymore?
Here is a guy – who has become a citizen of the United States - - - in the process he recognizes
that he was called to express his loyalty to his new country as part of the citizenship process
He has denounced his allegiance to his former country - - - agreeing to be willing to take up
arms against his former country if such an occasion should arise
The Gospel of God – is a call to renounce your former citizenship under Satan - - - and to
willingly align yourself with your new King
Some old baptismal formulas would ask candidates: ‘Do you renounce the works of the devil?’
i.e. – as a new citizen in the kingdom of God - - - Do you renounce your old citizenship?
The Scriptures break this world down into two spiritual kingdoms ultimately – that cross all
national boundaries / ethnicities
Col. 1:13, 14 [describes salvation in these terms] – ‘He [God] delivered us from the domain of
darkness and transferred us to the kingdom His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption the
forgiveness of sins.’
There is the kingdom – domain of darkness / under the sway of Satan
The Kingdom of God’s beloved Son – whose citizens have been rescued out of the domain of
darkness – set free to render glad obedience to their king
C.S. Lewis: ‘Enemy-occupied territory – that is what this world is. Christianity is the story
of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us all to
take part in a great campaign of sabotage.’ [Mere Christianity, p. 36]
He calls us to join up – become citizens of His kingdom – thru faith in Christ – call others to join
the movement
In the Gospel of Mark – we pick up this morning with Jesus entering upon His earthly ministry - - where the King makes His initial assault upon Satan’s kingdom
I.
Jesus Preaches the Kingdom – vv. 14-15
Here we come to the great moment – when Jesus announces the kingdom message
The message is a simple one: repent – believe in the message of the gospel
The Kingdom of God is at hand
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The rightful king has landed
Abraham Kuyper: ‘There is not one square inch of the entire creation about which Jesus
Christ does not cry out, ‘This is mine – this belongs to Me!’
Evil is a foreign intrusion upon God’s good creation - - - Jesus came to redeem / set things
right ultimately
Nearly everything Jesus does in the gospels can be seen in the context of an assault on
Satan’s kingdom
The temptation account - - - was a conflict with Satan [Satan’s attempt to disqualify Jesus]
Preaching the Kingdom of God - - - calling people out of Satan’s kingdom into God’s
kingdom
With the arrival of Jesus – light is invading the darkness
The time is fulfilled
Jesus is not just dropping in out of the blue
He comes within the flow of the many acts of God among His people in redemptive history –
that pointed forward to this day
Jesus is the descendant of Abraham – thru whom all the nations of the world shall be blessed
He is the lion of the tribe of Judah – from whom the scepter never will depart
He is the Son of David – who will be given the throne of His Father – to rule over Israel
forever
He is the greater than Moses – who delivers God’s people out of slavery
He is the greater than Passover Lamb – whose blood will deliver from death
He is the innocent suffering servant of God [Isaiah 53]– who is pierced for our transgressions
/ crushed for our iniquities
Jesus is the seed of the woman who will crush the serpent’s head
John the Baptist is the forerunner who went before in the spirit and power of Elijah
The OT preparatory period is over
We are now ready for the grand act which divides human history - - - the coming of God’s
own Son - - - Jesus
Israel had once been a powerful earthly kingdom under David and Solomon [That kingdom
dissipated / collapsed due to their sin]
The angel Gabriel told Mary that God was going to give her child the throne of His Father
David [Luke 1]
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Now comes this descendant of David – announcing the arrival of the kingdom of God
He will die on the cross – with the title – ‘King of the Jews’ - - - nailed to the cross by Pilate
I heard on C. radio this week – ‘No matter who we get for President – remember – we still
have Jesus for our King.’
What is this Kingdom of God?
Is it spiritual or physical?
Is it now or later?
Is it earthly or heavenly?
Is the church the same thing as the kingdom?
3 Kingdom of God views:

The rule of God in the hearts of His people
A person believes in Christ – enters the kingdom – a present reality
The Kingdom is God’s rule / reign – glad obedience from His people

A future rule of God on earth – the millennial kingdom – a period of peace and
blessedness – Satan is bound – Jesus on the throne of Israel ruling over all

Both a present spiritual kingdom and a future literal kingdom – without excluding one for
the sake of the other [my view] [already / not yet]
Col. 1:13 – ‘He delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to
kingdom of His beloved Son’
It has been done – past tense
If you believe in Jesus - - you are in some sense – in His kingdom now
Phil. 3:20 – ‘Our citizenship is in heaven from which also we eagerly wait for a
Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.’
So there is this spiritual nature of the kingdom – present now
Christ’s kingly rule – is shown wherever people walk by the Spirit in glad obedience to the
king
Rom. 14:17 – ‘the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking but righteousness, peace and
joy in the Holy Spirit’
Evidence of your kingdom citizenship is in godly living
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If we stopped there – we would simply be amillenialists [who do not believe in a literal
future kingdom involving Israel / or the literal 1000 year kingdom of Rev. 20]
However there are also numerous passages that point to a future element to the kingdom –
that will involve elements which we do not see yet [the kingdom in its fullness]
Matt. 19:28 – [that sounds like there is more to come]
Matt. 26:29 – [again – Jesus points forward to realities not yet present]
Matt. 25:34 – ‘Then the King will say to those on His right – Come, you who are blessed
of My Father - - - Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.’
There are aspects of the kingdom present now – but much more to come
We taste of the kingdom now [things like forgiveness / righteousness / fellowship with God]
- - - We await the fullness of the Kingdom
Scripture often distinguishes the saved from the unsaved - - - in terms of those who will
inherit the kingdom or not inherit the kingdom
I Cor. 6:9-11
People are making choices – that will affect where they end up for all eternity
The kingdom had drawn near in the person of Jesus and now thru the gospel call of the
church – men and women are called to enter in to His kingdom - - - but they can choose to
remain outside thru unbelief
What is Jesus calling for?
If we want to see the kingdom – something needs to happen
John 3:1-3
We are born in this world – as rebels / sinners / with a corrupt nature
We need to be born again
Peter tells us that we are born again thru the Word of God
I Peter 2:23
As we respond to the good news of Jesus – we are born again thru faith in Christ
II.
Follow Me – vv. 16-20
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Here we come to what historically is the beginning of the church
Where did the church come from?
Where did Christianity come from?
Israel began with the 12 sons of Jacob
The church – begins with the 12 disciples
We see here Jesus – calling disciples to Himself – who will later preach the message of the
gospel – and proclaim the death and resurrection of Christ
From small beginnings – God is going to do this great work – in building His church
John MacArthur: ‘The founding of the church hinged entirely on twelve men whose most
outstanding characteristic was their ordinariness.’ [Twelve Ordinary Men, p. xiii]
Jesus called weak, ordinary, flawed, fallible human beings - - - but will take them and use
them to build the church
*** Jesus takes the initiative to call these men
They were just going about their business – they have been exposed to Jesus before this [and
John the Baptist] – we see that in John’s gospel
But – still – we are struck by the simplicity of the call – and the obedient response of the men
to Jesus
It is Jesus who calls and selects these men - - - He once emphasized this point
John 15:16 – ‘You did not choose Me – but I chose you . . . and appointed you
that you should go and bear fruit.’
Peter Marshall – Chaplain for the US Senate way back in the 1940’s - - - once called this ‘the
tap on the shoulder.’
If you were walking down the street, and someone came up behind you and tapped you on
the shoulder . . . what would you do? Naturally, you would turn around. Well – that is
exactly what happens in the spiritual world. A man walks thru life – with the external call
ringing in his ears, but with no response stirring in his heart, and then suddenly, without any
warning, the Spirit taps him on the shoulder. The tap on the shoulder is the almighty power
of God acting without help or hindrance . . . so as to produce a new creature, and to lead him
into the particular work which God has for him.’ [Fascinating Stories, p. 202]
That’s how salvation comes to us – we are going along in our sins and worldliness - - - and
tap
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God steps in and says, ‘I want you to follow Me’
‘Stop what you are doing – and follow Me’
Have you heard that voice – to follow Jesus?
Here Jesus makes a play off of their occupation as fishermen – and says that He will make
them fishers of men
That is a picture of people responding to the gospel - - - coming into the kingdom
These men will be the ones to take the message of the gospel to the people of Israel – and
beyond
How did Peter / Andrew – James / John respond to this simple command?
They left everything and followed Jesus
Jesus does not call everybody to leave job or family - - - but He does tell us that He has
priority over such things – and that we should be willing to do so as He calls [renounce our
former citizenship in Satan’s kingdom]
He’s the Lord
He does call us all to some level of ministry – He gives gifts / abilities – ways in which you
can serve the church – build up the body - - - reach out to the lost with the gospel
No gift is insignificant in God’s hands
As we proclaim Christ’s gospel – we become agents of extending the kingdom – calling
people to come out of the kingdom of darkness and join us in the kingdom of God’s Son
Conclusion
Jesus told many parables about the kingdom of God / heaven
Matt. 13:45
There is this pearl of great price – it’s value is beyond compare [that’s the point of the
parable - - - the kingdom of heaven is worth anything you could give for it]
If you have to give everything you own to get this pearl – it’s worth it
The amazing thing is that God gives it to us for free
Rev. 22:17 – ‘Let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life
without cost.’
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How can this be?
Jesus paid the price for us - - - He bought our ticket
To the sinner who reaches out in true faith - - - He brings us in
The thief on the cross – had a ‘tap on the shoulder moment’
He came to the end of his shortened life
He saw his sin – He saw his folly - - - how he had been running from God all his life
He knew he needed a Savior
He says: ‘Jesus – remember me when you come in your kingdom.’
Jesus said: ‘truly I say unto you – today you will be with me in paradise.’
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