Today Here Enjoy and Spread the Kingdom of God(Mt10:1, 5-8)

We all live on this earth experiencing sadness and pain. I heard about the shocking news that Hamas members entered Israeli villages and killed people at random, even cutting off the heads of numerous newborn babies. We all want peace, but we hear constant news of war. Although we want to be healthy, we live suffering from disease and physical weakness. There are people who want to love, but cannot forgive due to their wounds, and live in great pain. This is the sad reality we face on this earth today.

But there is good news. Because of Jesus, the kingdom of God has come here today. Jesus didn’t only bring the kingdom of God that we can experience after death, but we can also experience the kingdom of God today in this suffering land. And today we can all enjoy and live in this kingdom of God here and now. And God wants us to expand this kingdom of God to our neighbors.

We’ve been through a lot of difficult times due to the coronavirus. 

In today’s Bible text, Jesus chose 12 disciples, gave them the power and authority to cast out demons, and dispatched his disciples. And he told them to preach the kingdom of God.

The kingdom of God is the core theme of Jesus’ ministry and the core theme of the entire Bible.

Values(Focus) of God’s Kingdom

In order to enjoy and share the kingdom of God, we must first know the value of the kingdom of God. Why did Jesus tell us to expand the kingdom of God? This is because Jesus brought the kingdom of God of the new heaven and new earth to this world, which was already full of sin and suffering. And this is because we can enjoy and live in the kingdom of God even in this land of suffering. This is truly good news. Jesus’ greatest interest is the kingdom of God.

So the first words proclaimed by Jesus are these. ‘The kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe.’

Are you living a life focused on the values of God’s kingdom?

Mat 13:44 The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

If you found the treasure, would you be able to live the same way as before? That won’t be possible. The person who accidentally discovered the treasure hidden in the field was the first to find it and rejoiced in his discovery. Afterwards, he sold everything he had and bought the field containing the treasure. This is because you can own that treasure only if you sell everything you own and buy the field. Dear saints, have you given up everything to enter the kingdom of God? Have you let go of your own plans, your own will, and the idea that you are the master of your life, and have you accepted Jesus as Lord and King, and are you still allowing Jesus to rule your life? If you truly discovered the treasure of the kingdom of God and rejoiced and sold everything you owned to have it, you would never be able to live the same way.

Php 3:14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

This is Paul’s confession.

Dear saints, are you running toward a clear goal for the eternal kingdom of God? To win a gold medal at the Olympics, athletes sweat and practice non-stop and train and discipline their lives. They have a clear goal of winning a gold medal, so they train hard and run toward it. We all need a clear signpost for the kingdom of God. We will soon stand before God and receive a medal of praise saying, ‘Well done, faithful servant.’

Are you living today for eternity? Are you living today with eternity in mind?

If you were to place a baby on the floor along with a shiny marble and a tiny diamond, the baby would gravitate to the shiny marble every time. The shiny marble is larger and appears more vibrant than the diamond. But if you were to ask an adult to choose which one he or she would like to pick up and keep, the adult would go for the diamond. This is because the adult possesses a level of discernment, which informs the two objects’ value beyond what is merely seen.

Many of us have gravitated to shiny relationships, circumstances, careers, and opportunities, only to discover that when the shine wears off there isn’t a whole lot left. Living your life with a kingdom focus gives you the ability to discern value by something more than outward appearances or your own emotions. It gives you the skills you need to choose wisely, setting yourself up for the completion of the purposes God has for you. When you go to a 3D movie, you receive special glasses to watch the film. You are free to watch it without the glasses, of course, but the image will be fuzzy. Not only will you miss out on the 3D elements, but you will also miss out on the regular visuals because without the glasses the picture isn’t clear. Immature milk believers are like 3D moviegoers who aren’t wearing 3D glasses. They can watch the movie, sure. But they won’t be able to see all that is there to be seen. 

Please look at our life with God’s divine eyesight. I want you to have a God’s divine eyesight to see clearly the Kingdom of God’s value. Then you will be making decisions and living our lives in alignment with God and His viewpoint. When you live with His perspective and His kingdom clarity, you will make choices bearing eternity in mind.  Bless you to discern circumstances on earth while being mindful of heaven. 

Spread the kingdom of God through words and life.

So how can we specifically live a life centered on the values of God’s kingdom? Before preaching the kingdom of God to others, it is important that you first fully enjoy the kingdom of God yourself in your daily life.

What is the kingdom of God?

The kingdom of God is not a place you only go to after death, but all areas where God rules and governs as king. Now, if God reigns over your heart completely through His Word and the Holy Spirit, the Kingdom of God will come into your heart.

When God, who is light, reigns, all darkness will leave. When God, who is love, reigns, all hatred will leave. If the God of healing completely rules over you through the Holy Spirit, He will heal you from all my diseases and weaknesses and make you strong.

“But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” (Matthew 12:28)

We can experience this kingdom of God here and today.

When God rules over us completely through His Word and the Holy Spirit, we experience heavenly joy, peace, and righteousness.

Rom 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

So give your heart and life to Him so that He can rule over your heart and life. At this moment, declare that Jesus is your king. Let go of all your worries and confess that Jesus rules and guides your life as your King.

In today’s Bible text, Jesus called the 12 disciples and gave them the power and authority to cast out demons and heal diseases. 

Look at verses 5 and 6.

Mat 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans,

Mat 10:6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

After giving this authority to his disciples, the Lord told his disciples to first go to our fellow Israelites and not to strangers and proclaim the kingdom of God. There is an order when we preach the kingdom of God. The first people we need to evangelize to are your close ones, such as your family, friends, and fellow countrymen. When we receive the power of the Holy Spirit, we will live as witnesses first in Jerusalem, then in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Therefore, please first spread the gospel of the kingdom of God to your close family and brothers and sisters. Please serve through the word of God and a life of love for the salvation of your family and friends. Please pray for their salvation every day and serve them with the love the Lord gives you every day. First, please serve the VIP non-believer friends and family that God has connected you with.

  Mat 10:7 And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’

Mat 10:8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.

The first mission the Lord gave His disciples when sending them out was to spread the word of the kingdom of God. The second is to spread the kingdom of God with love by healing the sick, casting out demons, and giving to others.

When evangelizing, these two things must always go hand in hand. We must spread the kingdom of God together through both words and life.

Do you have a clear message of the kingdom of God to spread to your family? Can you accurately explain the gospel of the kingdom of God to your friends and family? If you have 3 minutes, can you preach the gospel in 3 minutes? If you were given one hour, would you be able to accurately preach the gospel of the kingdom of God in detail for one hour? I hope you always live with this clear gospel of the kingdom of God in your heart.

Next, we must show and testify the kingdom of God not only through the gospel but also through our actions in our daily lives.

How can God’s children live the life of God’s kingdom in their daily lives? Through his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told us how we can live as children of God on this earth. Through the words of the Beatitudes, specific words such as starting with the character governed by the Holy Spirit, living a responsible life like light and salt in the world, and loving our enemies provide valuable guidance on how we should live.

But today, Jesus specifically talks about how to live a life in the kingdom of God as an evangelist.

Heal the sick,

First heal the sick. Please heal those who are physically sick through prayer and faith. When you pray in faith in the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit will heal you. Furthermore, I hope you live as someone who heals mental illnesses. Words of love heal people. Love heals a broken heart. Above all, forgiveness heals people. May we heal the sick and spread the kingdom of God. Please spread the virus of comfort, joy, and peace that we have to those who are exhausted and fallen. I hope that the joy within me and the life of Jesus will spread to them and give them the grace to heal their sick hearts and bodies.

Raise the dead, cleanse lepers,

He told us to raise the dead and cleanse lepers. Missionary Heidi Baker of Mozambique actually experienced the grace of the powerful anointing of the Holy Spirit and reaped great fruit by testifying to the gospel of the kingdom of God by raising the dead and opening the eyes of the blind. In particular, leprosy was a very common skin disease at the time of Jesus, but has become a very rare disease today. Even today, by preaching the gospel, we can save ourselves from the terrible sins of spiritually dead people and spiritual lepers.

Cast out demons

And he told them to cast out demons.

People can be influenced by demons for a variety of reasons. The way to be free from demons is to repent of your sins, believe in the blood of Jesus, be justified, and gain the confidence to become a child of God, and the demons will leave. We cannot see demons. However, if you pray to a person and say, ‘Demon, go out,’ many problems may arise. Therefore, casting out demons is also a problem that can be naturally solved if you become a child of light through the gospel.

However, more realistically, we must know that demons can work on us believers as well. When I was in theological seminary, there was an incident where a group of disciples I had trained revealed that a sister was possessed by a demon during their prayer time. Later, when I personally had a conversation with a sister who was possessed by a demon, I found out that she was someone she had an unforgiving heart.

  Eph 4:26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, Eph 4:27 and give no opportunity to the devil.

Please do not forget that when we harbor anger in our hearts or fail to forgive, the sin of anger legitimately gives the devil a place and opportunity to influence our lives.

Therefore, being free from the power of demons means repenting and dealing with the sin of anger, especially. And it is about forgiving the person who caused you pain and hurt. Forgiveness means that you have the right to take revenge because you were hurt, but you give the right for revenge to God. 

Rom 12:19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

It is human nature to want to pull out the sword and take revenge because the wound is so great, but God tells us to leave it to God because He will take revenge. Forgiveness sets us free, and forgiving others heals us and others. May you be free from the forces of darkness through forgiveness.

You received without paying; give without pay.

True love is giving. Love is giving generously of what you have. The Lord also said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ The Lord gave his life for our salvation from sin, and through this he showed his love for us. Ask the Holy Spirit what your husband, children, and friends really need. And share what you have. The most amazing gift is sharing the gospel, the life of Jesus. You received freely, so please give freely.

Just as there is an end to our lives, there is an end to history. With the second coming of Jesus, this history comes to an end and the kingdom of God is completed.

And Israel is the sundial of history. There are many prophetic words related to Israel regarding the end times.

When does the Bible say Jesus will return? It is said that when the gospel is preached to all nations, the Lord will come. It was said that when Israel, the fig tree, is restored, the Lord will come. Israel became independent in 1948 after being destroyed by Rome and not being an independent country for nearly 2,000 years. It was being restored territorially, as a sovereign nation, and spiritually, as the Messianic Jews returned to the Lord. One important event before the Second Coming is the appearance of the Antichrist. When World War III breaks out and there will be economic and political chaos, the Antichrist will appear as the leader and sign a peace treaty with Israel. Through these things, we can come to know the antichrist. In Israel, like the sun clock of history, there is now not just a conflict, but a war. The times we live in are truly special times. We can clearly hear the footsteps of the Lord coming.

Dear saints, are you pressing toward the kingdom of God? Jesus sent us to testify the gospel of the kingdom of God to our families and brothers. Are you living your life focusing on the values of God’s kingdom? Like watching a 3D movie without glasses, are you living your life with blurred vision or are you instead seeing it through Godly lens? Are we giving priority to our time, material, and life for the kingdom of God, seeing clearly that this earth is not our home and our eternal home and purpose? Remember, there is judgment upon us.

Before spreading the gospel of the kingdom of God, first fully enjoy the gospel of the kingdom of God every day. By faith, let Jesus govern and rule over you as king through his word and the Holy Spirit. Then we will boldly spread the gospel of the kingdom of God. Also, let the life virus of God’s kingdom flow through my life through my forgiveness, comfort, and love of service. Drive out demons by the power of the Holy Spirit through forgiveness.

I bless you in the name of the Lord that you all enjoy the kingdom of God here and today live a blessed life that spreads the amazing virus of life.