Title: Kingdom of God/Mark 1:14-15
Do you know what Jesus came into the world for and for what purpose he founded the church? We would like to share this with you.
In the text, Jesus came to Galilee and preached the gospel of God. “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” What is important here? It is God's country. In Matthew 4:23, the appearance of the kingdom of God is shown as the healing of all diseases and weaknesses. Many people want to see the Gospel with their own eyes. It is not enough just to hear with your ears. You have to see with your own eyes to experience the kingdom of God. Jesus bought the kingdom of God and ended his life.
Where should we devote our lives? Matthew 6:33-34 says it is for the kingdom of God and His righteousness. The kingdom of God was in the passion of Jesus. Now, the kingdom of God must be at the center of our lives.
The kingdom of God consists of the people ruled by Jesus Christ. There are those who do not see Jesus as the king who rules over him, but only as the Savior. Such a person is not living the life of the people of heaven. You cannot experience the kingdom of God.
The kingdom of God is everything that God's will is done. If Jesus were the president, and the mayor of Seoul, our country would be different. This is what the church is supposed to do. The church must work for Jesus.
Let's think about the nature of the kingdom of God.
The kingdom of God sets apart even the smallest things.
God has made us his children and calls us saints. It is a separate group. God said that the house he lived in was a temple. And they were not allowed to go there. They also made sure that no one touched the objects used there. He did not allow anyone whom God used to treat him harshly. It is set apart as God's.
1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it for the glory of God.” By eating or drinking here, we mean to set aside ordinary things as those that glorify God.
Zechariah 14:20-21 “On that day, even the bells of a horse will be written holiness to the LORD, and every pot in the house of the LORD will be like a pot in front of the altar. ---- ” Not only those in the temple, but all the pots have been consecrated to the Lord. Even the pot where you boil ramen becomes your gender. Anything written to God is precious. In the kingdom of God, everything is precious. Everyone is precious.
In this way, God sets apart those who belong to him so that he can be revealed in this world. Occasionally we have a baby sacrifice. This is what sets the baby of the saints apart from those of unbelievers. And worshiping after moving is also what sets the house apart. Even public toilets are clean and have a fragrant scent, and a rose is a sign of the kingdom of God. Because we have God in us, we must always do everything before God. Making our life and environment clean before God is a life that builds the kingdom of God on this earth. The kingdom of God is revealed in the way we live before God.
The kingdom of God is open to all.
In Hinduism there are ranks of people. That's the class system. Some believe that they are born to clean the bathroom. Some people think that they are born to be farmers. Some people think that they are born as merchants.
John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” The kingdom of God is open to all who believe.
Galatians 3:28 says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, male or female, for you are all one in Christ.” There is no distinction in the kingdom of God. It doesn't matter whether you are slave or free, male or female. All are children of God. In both Jewish and Greek society, women were despised. When a girl is born, one in four is left to die. Thousands of women followed Jesus because Jesus treated them like human beings for the first time. Many women came into the early church because it was a community that treated women as human beings. The church is a community where the master Philemon and the servant Onesimus serve God together.
No one can be excluded from the kingdom of God. Everyone can participate. A community where children, youth and adults gather together is the kingdom of God. Where the walls of the heart are broken, the kingdom of God will come.
The kingdom of God must be built in the heart.
Jesus said that the kingdom of God is in your heart. This means that the kingdom of God is first built in our hearts. Just as the roots bear fruit, the thoughts we hold in our hearts determine our lives. Thoughts produce results. The way we see the world depends on how we see the world. A person with biblical thoughts will see the world as God sees it. If our hearts are filled with thoughts about the kingdom of God, our lives will be in the kingdom of God.
It's just a desert for those who think sand is useless. But anyone who discovers the silicon that makes semiconductors out of the sand is a valuable resource. The idea of the kingdom of God is to make us see silicon, not sand. He wants to experience the kingdom of God in the territory. He wants the kingdom of God to be established in the family as well. He wants the kingdom of God to come to you at work. Where God's will is done, even things that were considered useless will become precious treasures. God creates us as new creatures.