THE KINGDOM OF GOD-7 "The War of Words"

Luke 17:20-21  Now at one point the Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of God was coming, so he answered, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is in your midst (is already among you).”

To properly understand Jesus’ answer you have to understand the Pharisees’ and their question…

Who were the Pharisees?  They were the Rulers of Their Society.  

The Pharisees had devised a complex network of rules that controlled family, business, speech, and thought.  They began as a moral revolution and quickly morphed into the Ruling Class of an oppressive Nanny State.  They had the power to classify you as a Saint or make you out to be a Devil.  The people secretly hated them but they gave into their demands out of fear of being banded from society as an outcast or stoned to death.  The Pharisees were the Architects and Enforcers of a highly refined System of Words that guaranteed moral superiority, but ultimately imprisoned the entire society.  

The Pharisees instantly hated Jesus.  Why?  Because He was freeing offering people the KOG, and releasing them from bondage to the Pharisees’ legalism.  

The Pharisees controlled the Social System of their world as their own K’dom.  And they did it by force, through:

• Accusation, Ridicule, & Condemnation,
• Labels of Political & Moral Correctness,
• And ultimately, Violence, Prison and Execution.

The Pharisees twisted GOD’s Word into oppressive Compliance Regulations so as to control all personal and social life, in the name of upholding Rightness and purging Evil.

So if they had managed to amass all this power WHY were they asking Jesus about the KOG?  It’s because He wasn’t holding the KOG out, like a carrot on a stick, and using their Coercions of Fault-Finding, Ridicule, and Threats against the people.  Instead, Jesus was simply giving away Grace, Mercy and the Power of Healing & Deliverance.  And the Pharisees wanted to SEE (Judge) His System to Find Fault with it.  

These are the PC Police of the world.  They classify everyone in groups and have no respect for the Individual.  And because Jesus made the KOG available directly to Individuals they wanted to Execute Him.  Their utter contempt for the rights of individuals was evident when they sent officers to arrest Jesus, but the officers returned without Him because they were so amazed by Him; and the Pharisees belittled them saying, “Have any of us believed in Him?  But these people following Him are ignorant and cursed!” (Jn 7:48-49).  

SO Jesus answer to them about the KOG is this: GOD’s K’dom isn’t a System. You can’t manipulate it or use it on people.  In fact the KOG is AMONG YOU right now!  In other words, There is NO social SYSTEM that can make you a citizen in the KOG.  No one can earn it because everyone has fallen short of it.   And people can’t be coerced into it by fear or shaming because there’s no way to lift themselves up.

There’s only One Way into the KOG… 

Jesus, the Perfect King, has offered Himself in sacrifice for your sins. And everyone, rich & poor, good & bad, enters the KOG the same way: Humbling yourself in repentance, and accepting GOD’s forgiveness, to become His child.  The KOG is GOD’s Family and you must be born into it by the Holy Spirit.  No System of Words has ever put one soul back into GOD’s K’dom. 

Rom. 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not MEAT and DRINK; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. 

Under the Pharisees’ System MEAT and DRINK is the Title Heading for the set of rules you had to comply with in order to prove you weren’t whatever THEY wanted to accuse you of being.  

Just think: How wonderful it is to be blessed with righteousness, peace, and joy through the Holy Spirit rather than laboring under the unbearable stress of having to comply with MEAT and DRINK Laws!  

The Pharisees are working hard in today’s world to dominate our society.  They’re using the same coercions of Accusation, Ridicule, Shaming, Intimidation & Violence.  Through their cruel tactic of Cancel Culture they’re taking away people’s jobs, ruining their credit, and shutting down their existence on social media.  While society’s trying to deal with its challenges, the Pharisees are injecting their twisted accusations and threats into the public dialog.  And for those who listen and succumb to them, stress and anxiety is boiling over.   

Jesus warned His disciples about the spirit of the Pharisees when He said, “Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees.” —Mt 16:6   Their Hypocrisy and Intimidation effectively spreads like yeast through dough.

But FEAR NOT!  

The KOG is still here!!  

The Holy Spirit is still here!

Righteousness, peace, and joy are still here in our midst!

 

THE PHARISEES SAY…The System is Broken!  

Every problem is now “Systemic”.  Race, Economy, Law Enforcement, ALL “Systemic”.  

The Marxist view of social problems, is called Critical Theory, and has infiltrated our education system.  It teaches that people are bad because the system is bad—Change the system and you’ll change the people.  People who believe this curse the system rather than take responsibility for themselves.  This is the belief driving the current revolt in our society.

But the problems of society aren’t Systemic, they’re SINstemic.  

Sin always blames the system.  When sin took hold of Adam he immediately blamed the System of Marriage!  

But the KOG says, “For we are each responsible for our own conduct.” — Gal. 6:5

 

THE PHARISEES SAY…Everyone Must Fight Racism!  If you don’t “Fight Racism” you’re a racist.  

But the KOG says, “There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.” — Gal. 3:28 

I don’t have to fight what Jesus already defeated.  Just lead people to Him.

 

THE PHARISEES SAY…Tear Down These Statues.  They Inspire Wrong Thinking!  

But the KOG says, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” — John 12:32 

Tearing down statues doesn’t help or improve anyone.  But lifting up Jesus does!

 

THE PHARISEES SAY…I’m Offended. I demand Reparations!  

But the KOG says, “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” —Matt. 6:14

In the KOG Jesus has covered every debt of sin.  He gave Himself to us as our Reparations.  I think you’ll find He’s MORE THAN ENOUGH for you!!