From the Pulpit...

How is our message different than Jesus' message about the kingdom? Our message is substantially the same. There is a minor adjustment today based on the fact that the King is absent - the kingdom is not "at hand" like it was when Jesus was physically present on the earth. John the Baptist and Jesus preached "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Today, it is not "at hand" because the King is absent. We are taught in Luke 19:11-27 to expect that the King would be absent for some unknown but rather lengthy period of time. We are taught by the kingdom parables in Matthew 13 that something happened to the kingdom that put off its immediate appearance, and gives us responsibilities in the meanwhile as we prepare for its coming. We are taught that the kingdom of God was taken from the then-present generation of the Jews and given to a nation bearing its fruits (Matt. 21:43). Although the kingdom is not immediately "at hand," it is imminent - whenever Christ returns, it begins. Jesus is coming back to reign over everything. If you are to enter His kingdom, you must be born again. So we can preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is coming."