Jesus for President—The Upside-Down Kingdom

November 3, 2024

Philippians 1:27-2:11; Matthew 20:20–28 — Jesus' political manifesto (platform) is called The Upside-Down Kingdom. His kingdom radically differs from any kingdom, government, or political ideology in the world. His kingdom operates with a completely different understanding of power. The kingdoms of this world are "power over " others. Jesus' kingdom is a "power under" kingdom where greatness is defined by serving and sacrificing for others in unconditional love. All followers of Jesus are called to manifest his kingdom in every area of our lives, including our politics. As his followers, we are called to live lives worthy of the gospel of Christ and God’s kingdom. We should live as citizens of heaven. We do so by standing firm in the Holy Spirit and together in one spirit and one mind. By having the same mind and attitude as Christ. We should not fear the kingdoms of this world but be ready to suffer on behalf of Christ.

Many resources were used in this series. Here are some of the sources that shaped this series and the content of the sermons: Craig R. Koester, Revelation and the End of All Things, Second Edition (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2018); McKnight, Scot; Matchett, Cody. Revelation for the Rest of Us: A Prophetic Call to Follow Jesus as a Dissident Disciple (Zondervan. Kindle Edition); Wright, N. T.; Bird, Michael F F. Jesus and the Powers: Christian Political Witness in an Age of Totalitarian Terror and Dysfunctional Democracies. Zondervan. Kindle Edition. Gregory A. Boyd, 2005. The Myth of a Christian Nation. Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan. David VanDrunen, 2020. Politics after Christendom: Political Theology in A Fractured World. Zondervan Academic. Shreve, JB, 2023. Politically Incorrect: Real Faith in an Era of Unreal Politics. Windmill Media. Kindle Edition. Alberta, Tim, 2023. The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism. HarperCollins. Kindle Edition. Gitsham, Denise Grace, 2023. Politics for People Who Hate Politics: How to Engage without Losing Your Friends or Selling Your Soul. Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. Chang, Curtis; French, Nancy, 2024. The After Party: Toward Better Christian Politics. Zondervan. Kindle Edition. Cho, Eugene, 2020. Thou Shalt Not Be a Jerk: A Christian's Guide to Engaging Politics. David C Cook. Kindle Edition. Moore, Russell D, 2023. Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical America. Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. Pamela Cooper-White, The Psychology of Christian Nationalism: Why People Are Drawn In and How to Talk Across the Divide (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2022). Wayne A. Grudem, Politics according to the Bible: A Comprehensive Resource for Understanding Modern Political Issues in Light of Scripture (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010). Andrew L. Whitehead, 2023. American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Church and Threatens the Church. Brazos Press. Bonnie Kristian, 2022. Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community.

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Faith & Culture, Faith & Politics, Kingdom Living, Kingdom of God, Kingdom of heavenSUCCTag 01, Tag 02
Kingdom Politics

October 27, 2024

Mark 1:14-15; John 18:33-37; Matthew 6:25-34; 20:20-28 — This begins our series, Faith, Culture & Politics a.k.a. Kingdom Politics. It’s called Kingdom Politics because God’s Kingdom and his kingdom values must be our foundation, starting point, and guide on how we live life and practice politics in this world. All political ideologies, views, and policies must be measured against and evaluated by Kingdom values and principles as modeled and taught by Jesus Christ and revealed in God’s Word. God is sovereign over all. Jesus is Lord and King and always remains so. God’s kingdom is not only a spiritual reality nor only a future hope. It is real. It has come in Jesus Christ. As followers of Jesus, we are called to live as kingdom citizens and build for his kingdom in this world. We do so by seeking his kingdom first in all we do, especially so in our politics. We are to be bulletins, brochures, advertisements of the kingdom.

Many resources were used in this series. Here are some of the sources that shaped this series and the content of the sermons: Craig R. Koester, Revelation and the End of All Things, Second Edition (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2018); McKnight, Scot; Matchett, Cody. Revelation for the Rest of Us: A Prophetic Call to Follow Jesus as a Dissident Disciple (Zondervan. Kindle Edition); Wright, N. T.; Bird, Michael F F. Jesus and the Powers: Christian Political Witness in an Age of Totalitarian Terror and Dysfunctional Democracies. Zondervan. Kindle Edition. Gregory A. Boyd, 2005. The Myth of a Christian Nation. Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan. David VanDrunen, 2020. Politics after Christendom: Political Theology in A Fractured World. Zondervan Academic. Shreve, JB, 2023. Politically Incorrect: Real Faith in an Era of Unreal Politics. Windmill Media. Kindle Edition. Alberta, Tim, 2023. The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism. HarperCollins. Kindle Edition. Gitsham, Denise Grace, 2023. Politics for People Who Hate Politics: How to Engage without Losing Your Friends or Selling Your Soul. Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. Chang, Curtis; French, Nancy, 2024. The After Party: Toward Better Christian Politics. Zondervan. Kindle Edition. Cho, Eugene, 2020. Thou Shalt Not Be a Jerk: A Christian's Guide to Engaging Politics. David C Cook. Kindle Edition. Moore, Russell D, 2023. Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical America. Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. Pamela Cooper-White, The Psychology of Christian Nationalism: Why People Are Drawn In and How to Talk Across the Divide (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2022). Wayne A. Grudem, Politics according to the Bible: A Comprehensive Resource for Understanding Modern Political Issues in Light of Scripture (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010). Andrew L. Whitehead, 2023. American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Church and Threatens the Church. Brazos Press. Bonnie Kristian, 2022. Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community.

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Kingdom Living, Kingdom of God, Kingdom of heaven, Faith & Culture, Faith & PoliticsSUCCTag 01, Tag 02
Jesus Is Coming Soon!

October 13, 2024

Revelation 22:6-21 — Jesus is coming soon. These words are faithful and true. Therefore, we should be ready for his return at all times. How? We should look and listen, obey and keep His Word. We should worship God alone and witness faithfully to Christ. We should come out of Babylon and resist the powers and empires of this world. We should follow the Lamb into his kingdom and the new creation. We are ready when we live as citizens of the new Jerusalem in this world. And while we live in radical abandonment and obedience to God, our prayer always remains, “Come, Lord Jesus!”

This concludes our series on the book of Revelation: Come, Lord Jesus! Too many resources were used in this series to list them all. However, the following source shaped this series and the content of the sermons extensively: Thomas R. Schreiner, Revelation. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2023). The following key resources were also used — Craig R. Koester, Revelation: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary, ed. John J. Collins, vol. 38A, Anchor Yale Bible (New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2014); Tom Wright, Revelation for Everyone, For Everyone Bible Study Guides (London; Louisville, KY: SPCK; Westminster John Knox, 2011); Craig R. Koester, Revelation and the End of All Things, Second Edition (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2018); McKnight, Scot; Matchett, Cody. Revelation for the Rest of Us: A Prophetic Call to Follow Jesus as a Dissident Disciple (Zondervan. Kindle Edition); G. K. Beale, The Book of Revelation: A Commentary on the Greek Text, New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle, Cumbria: W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press, 1999); Grant R. Osborne, Revelation, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2002).

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End Times, Eschatology, RevelationSUCCTag 01, Tag 02
God Dwells with God’s People in God’s Place (2)

October 6, 2024

Revelation 21:9-22:5 — In the new creation, God dwells with God’s people in God’s place. The new Jerusalem is the Bride of the Lamb. It is the whole people of God from all the nations of the earth. The new Jerusalem encompasses the whole of the new creation, and it is God’s dwelling place. God and the Lamb is the temple in the new creation. Heaven has come to earth. Heaven and earth are now one. Paradise is restored, and God’s people live in perfect shalom (peace), safety, and security. The river of life and the tree of life provides all they need as well as eternal life. God’s people serve God and reign as stewards of God’s new creation forever as they serve God. They see God’s face and live by God’s glorious, radiant light forever and ever.

This is part of our series on the book of Revelation: Come, Lord Jesus! Too many resources were used in this series to list them all. However, the following source shaped this series and the content of the sermons extensively: Thomas R. Schreiner, Revelation. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2023). The following key resources were also used — Craig R. Koester, Revelation: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary, ed. John J. Collins, vol. 38A, Anchor Yale Bible (New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2014); Tom Wright, Revelation for Everyone, For Everyone Bible Study Guides (London; Louisville, KY: SPCK; Westminster John Knox, 2011); Craig R. Koester, Revelation and the End of All Things, Second Edition (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2018); McKnight, Scot; Matchett, Cody. Revelation for the Rest of Us: A Prophetic Call to Follow Jesus as a Dissident Disciple (Zondervan. Kindle Edition); G. K. Beale, The Book of Revelation: A Commentary on the Greek Text, New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle, Cumbria: W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press, 1999); Grant R. Osborne, Revelation, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2002).

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End Times, Eschatology, RevelationSUCCTag 01, Tag 02
God Dwells with God’s People in God’s Place (1)

September 22, 2024

Revelation 21:9-22:5 — In the new creation, God dwells with God’s people in God’s place. The new Jerusalem is the Bride of the Lamb. It is the whole people of God from all the nations of the earth. The new Jerusalem encompasses the whole of the new creation, and it is God’s dwelling place. God and the Lamb is the temple in the new creation. Heaven has come to earth. Heaven and earth are now one. Paradise is restored, and God’s people live in perfect shalom (peace), safety, and security. The river of life and the tree of life provides all they need as well as eternal life. God’s people serve God and reign as stewards of God’s new creation forever as they serve God. They see God’s face and live by God’s glorious, radiant light forever and ever.

This is part of our series on the book of Revelation: Come, Lord Jesus! Too many resources were used in this series to list them all. However, the following source shaped this series and the content of the sermons extensively: Thomas R. Schreiner, Revelation. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2023). The following key resources were also used — Craig R. Koester, Revelation: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary, ed. John J. Collins, vol. 38A, Anchor Yale Bible (New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2014); Tom Wright, Revelation for Everyone, For Everyone Bible Study Guides (London; Louisville, KY: SPCK; Westminster John Knox, 2011); Craig R. Koester, Revelation and the End of All Things, Second Edition (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2018); McKnight, Scot; Matchett, Cody. Revelation for the Rest of Us: A Prophetic Call to Follow Jesus as a Dissident Disciple (Zondervan. Kindle Edition); G. K. Beale, The Book of Revelation: A Commentary on the Greek Text, New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle, Cumbria: W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press, 1999); Grant R. Osborne, Revelation, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2002).

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End Times, Eschatology, RevelationSUCCTag 01, Tag 02
“I Am Making All Things New”

September 15, 2024

Revelation 21:1-8 — God is faithful and true. When God says, “I am making all things new,” and “It’s done,” all his promises have been fulfilled and consummated in the new creation. Heaven and earth meet in the new Jerusalem. Here, God will dwell with his people in unending intimacy and splendor. All our needs will be met and satisfied as we live forever in God’s living presence. The victorious will inherit the new creation with all the blessings and promises that come with it. The victorious are those who remained faithful to the witness of Jesus and lived out the life of Christ in this world.

This is part of our series on the book of Revelation: Come, Lord Jesus! Too many resources were used in this series to list them all. However, the following source shaped this series and the content of the sermons extensively: Thomas R. Schreiner, Revelation. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2023). The following key resources were also used — Craig R. Koester, Revelation: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary, ed. John J. Collins, vol. 38A, Anchor Yale Bible (New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2014); Tom Wright, Revelation for Everyone, For Everyone Bible Study Guides (London; Louisville, KY: SPCK; Westminster John Knox, 2011); Craig R. Koester, Revelation and the End of All Things, Second Edition (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2018); McKnight, Scot; Matchett, Cody. Revelation for the Rest of Us: A Prophetic Call to Follow Jesus as a Dissident Disciple (Zondervan. Kindle Edition); G. K. Beale, The Book of Revelation: A Commentary on the Greek Text, New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle, Cumbria: W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press, 1999); Grant R. Osborne, Revelation, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2002).

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End Times, Eschatology, RevelationSUCCTag 01, Tag 02