Upside-Down Living

We’ve been looking at the gospel of Luke, but we really can’t leave it unless we look at this theme that is all through the gospel of Luke and all through Jesus’ teaching … the kingdom of God. We really can’t leave until we understand better what that is, and it’s not easy to get that across. Many of you have heard the term kingdom of God for a long time, but can you put in a nutshell what it is? It’s not that easy.

One philosopher says a kingdom is the range of your effective will. If tonight somebody gets into your purse and takes something out or somebody gets into your backpack and takes something out, you’ll be outraged. Why? Because there has been an intrusion on your kingdom, on a place where the way you want things to be ought to reign supreme. There has been a violation of the range of your effective will.

What does it mean, then, to put yourself within the range of God’s effective will? What does it mean to put yourself under his effective will? That’s what we’re going to be looking at, and this particular parable tells us it means at least four things. To live in the kingdom of God is to get a lasting identity that goes on for eternity and is marked by astounding liberality. Finally, we have to ask, “How do we get that?”

This sermon was preached by Rev. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on May 4, 2003. Series "The Meaning of Jesus Part 4; The Kingdom of God". Scripture: Luke 16:19-31.

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