The future of the kingdom
Adrian Warnock
Audio and slides at
http://jubilee-church.org/sermons/2003/08/kingdom-of-god.htm
A possible World future…..?
* Risk of economic deflation whilst gap between rich and poor grows- many now living on less than $2 per day
* Clinical depression continuing to rise - the wealthier the country the greater the suicide rate
* The aging wealthy population- already over 65s own 75% of US wealth
* Feminisation of society- already, already more women gaining jobs, more men loosing jobs
* More anger at a strong USA intervening when it feels it needs to- leading to more terror groups, and mass protests
The future of faith….?
* 1 billion Muslims worldwide = 1 in 5 of world. Increasing @ 3% per year
* 1.7 billion ‘Christians’ growing @ just under 3% per year
* Meanwhile in the UK the church looks increasingly irrelevant, hypocritical and faces crippling lawsuits for its role in failing to report cases of child abuse by priests
* Many UK denominations might become bankrupt and close- the traditional church could all but disappear off the religious landscape in a generation
Traditional UK Churches closing
The Future…..
* 1953 in the UK
* 13% believe in Astrology
* 2003 in the UK
* >50% believe in Astrology
* 60-80% read their horoscopes.
* It is God who holds the future in his hands
* What’s in my future?
* What’s in the Kingdom’s future?
Jesus is coming again
(Acts 1:1-11)
Jesus will be glorified on earth
His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms (Eph 3:10)
A multinational Kingdom
(Rev 5:9-10)
Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals,for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.
A LARGE Kingdom
(Rev 7:8-17)
After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice,
“Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
I have a dream……..
A Kingdom born in pain
(Rev 7)
….then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
There may be trouble ahead…
Acts 14:20-22 They returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.
2 Timothy 3:12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,
With great trouble comes great glory…(Mt 24:6-14)
You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet…..Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake….But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
Where would you rather be?
More in heaven than hell?
Do you think that Christ will let the devil beat him? that he will let the devil have more in hell than there will be in heaven? No: it is impossible. For then Satan would laugh at Christ. There will be more in heaven than there are among the lost. God says, that “there will be a number that no man can number who will be saved;” but he never says that there will be a number that no man can number that will be lost. CHS
A LARGE Kingdom
(Rev 7:8-17)
After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice,
“Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
A Kingdom born in pain
(Rev 7)
….then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
The End is nice for us!
(Rev 7)
Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.
They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes
