Serving The Benevolent King
by Rev. Kirby Williams
Learning the joy and contentment of submission and obedience to our benevolent King.
Text: Luke 17:20-21
Date: 09/15/2024, the Combined service.
Series: "Luke: Thy Kingdom Come" Part 165
Description:
When asked by a group of Pharisees when the Kingdom of God will come to earth, Jesus gives an unexpected answer. He tells them the Kingdom of God is not something that can be determined through external means, but is a Kingdom that is Spiritually defined and discerned. But what really surprises the Pharisees is when He says the Kingdom of God is right in their midst. There are several words we will have to explore that will determine how these verses are interpreted. But in the end we will realize that Jesus has expressed the best possible world for any human to live in. A world run by a sovereign King who is loving, compassionate, selfless and has the best interest of His subjects at heart. We will build upon the "master/slave" paradigm we discussed several weeks ago, expanding it to the context of the "king/subject" paradigm. Ultimately we will find that the greatest joy and contentment to be found in this life or the next, is in the eternal Kingdom, serving our Benevolent King.
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I. Introduction
II. Exposition of the text, Luke 17:20-21.
A. Context
1. Tracing the thought.
a. The audience.
b. The need for faith.
c. The master/slave paradigm.
d. The ten lepers.
i. The "living parable".
ii. Sovereign grace.
iii. The flashback.
e. Continuing to switch audiences.
f. Looking ahead.
2. The king/subject paradigm.
a. The parts of a kingdom.
i. The king.
ii. The dominion.
iii. The subjects.
b. The best form of governance.
i. An engrained bias against monarchies.
ii. Extending the master/slave paradigm.
B. The coming of the Kingdom of God.
1. The Jewish expectation, vs. 20a.
2. How the Kingdom will NOT come, vs. 20b-21a.
a. Not an external Kingdom.
i. Calculating external phenomena.
ii. Reflected in the expectations of the church, Acts 1:6-7.
b. Not an identifiable "place".
i. Looking for signs, Luke 11:15, Matt. 24:23-24.
ii. Looking for a place.
c. A spiritual Kingdom, Matt. 15:14; 1Cor. 2:12-14; John 3:3.
d. Summary
3. The nature of the Kingdom of God, vs. 21b.
a. A play on words.
b. Interpreting "in your midst".
i. Exploring the translation: "within you".
1) Arguments for, Matt. 23:26; Isa. 16:11; John 14:16-17; Rev. 3:20; Rom. 14:17; John 3:5.
2) Arguments against.
a) An impossible audience.
b) The nature of the Kingdom of God.
ii. Exploring the translation: "in your midst".
1) Arguments for, Deut. 7:21; Isa. 12:6; Zeph. 3:17; Matt. 1:23; Rev. 1:12-13, 7:17.
2) Arguments against.
c. Summarizing what Jesus says.
d. The Kingdom paradigm, Dan. 7:13-14; Matt. 2:1,2,6; Isa. 9:6-7; Luke 2:11; John 18:36.
III. Application, Matt. 9:35, 24:14, John 14:6; Rom. 6:11, 6:23, 8:1-2; 2Cor. 5:17; Gal. 3:26.
IV. Conclusion
