We'll take your Bibles and open up to Luke chapter 19, starting in verse 11, but be turning there with me. We're starting another series here just for a few weeks as we ramp up to our August 27th big kind of grand opening celebration in a new facility and new building. This is called Kingdom Sightings because we're going to be talking about looking at different passages. Some of the old, some of the New Testament, what we see God talk about his kingdom. And when God talks about his kingdom, he gets really excited because his kingdom sums up so much and really does sum up all of what the gospel is about. All of what the Bible is about. All about what our experience as human beings is about. So we're going to dive into that. But as you're turning there to Luke chapter 19, I got a couple of questions for you to kind of prime the pump and get things going here. So this requires audience participation. You're going to have to raise your hand. So hope you're okay with that. Now here's the first question. How many of you agree with this statement? Cats rule and dogs rule. Raise your hand. I see a few. All right, how many of you would agree with dogs rule and cats rule? Raise your hand. A little bit more of the dogs are kind of winning out on that. Well, let's get a little bit more controversial here. Living in Florida, and I'm having to condescend myself to this discussion here, because this is not even relevant for me. But how many of you would say Florida Gators rule in Florida State Seminole's rule? Raise your hand. All right. I see most of the Gator fans have chosen to sit on this side. How many of you would say just the opposite? Florida Seminole's rule. Florida Gators rule in that category. And yes, many of them on this side. That's interesting how that's worked out there without you guys even knowing that. Okay, for some of you who are thinking sports, sports, what's up with that? How many of you would agree with this statement? PC's rule, max rule. Raise your hand. Only a few out there. How many of you would say no, no, no, max rule? PC's rule. Raise your hand. And some of you are just like, what are we talking about? All right, let's get even more controversial here. How many of you would say Democrats rule? No, okay, I can't go there. I'm asking to get a little bit sticky in it. You know, well, let me go even more controversial than that. How many of you would agree with this statement if you're as bold to respond? God rules and I rule. Now, how many of you would say that your life, though, more honestly exhibits I rule and God rules? Some of the same hands, thanks for being honest. I just want you to think about things that are in opposition to one another. I mean, truthfully, you really can't be an all right, I mean, just a huge dog lover, and really love cats equally. I mean, maybe there are a few of you out there. You kind of pick your allegiance there. I mean, you really can't, especially living in this state, really be an all out gator fan, and really be a Florida state fan at the same time. There are things that just kind of place themselves in opposition to one another naturally. And but the one that does it more than anything else, more than anything else in the universe, is who's going to rule between God and ourselves on the throne of our lives. There is no more controversial issue than that. So when we talk about the kingdom of God, as we explore that, and we look at just several passages where Jesus kind of gives a glimpse of what he means about the kingdom, realize he's talking about it extremely, an extremely incredible topic that cuts to the very soul of who we are. And we're going to look at this here in Luke chapter 19 verses 11 through 27. He's going to only mention the word kingdom once, and it's right at the beginning. But listen carefully how he says it, and then listen carefully the story that follows that Jesus tells as this parable. Luke chapter 19 verse 11 through 27, this is God's word. While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable because he was near Jerusalem, and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once, he said. And then a noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. So he called 10 of his servants and gave them 10 minas. Put this money to work, he said, until I come back. But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, we don't want this man to be our king. He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money in order to find out what they had gained with it. The first one came and said, sir, your mind has earned 10 more. Well done, my good servant, his master replied because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of 10 cities. The second came and said, sir, your mind has earned five more. His master answered, you take charge of five cities. Then another servant came and said, sir, here is your mind. I have kept it and laid it away in a piece of cloth. I was afraid of you because you were a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow. His master replied, I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant. You knew, did you, that I'm a hard man, taking out that which I did not put in and reaping what I did not sow? Why then didn't you put my money on deposit? So that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest. Then he said to those standing by, take his mind away from him and give it to the one who has 10 miners. Sir, they said he already has 10. He replied, I tell you that to everyone who has more, more will be given. But as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away. But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them, bring them here and kill them in front of me. This is God's holy and inspired word. And as we come to it here tonight, I want us to look at three main general aspects out of this, because Jesus is talking about the kingdom. Remember, that's how the whole thing started off. People thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. So Jesus tells a parable, he tells a story. Three things that we're going to look at here tonight. The first one that we're going to look at here is the progression of the kingdom coming. Some of you, I think all of you in your bulletin have an outline in there that you might want to follow along. That's what goes in there first. It's the progression of the kingdom coming. But let me back up to that question. There's a little question there at the spot with a blank free to fill it in. We're already kind of hinting at that. But the question that I want you to be thinking about tonight is who rules your soul? Who rules your soul? Write that question in there because I want you to be coming back to it. And as we look at first observation, the progression of the kingdom coming. Jesus talks out here first. The kingdom is actually was inaugurated. The kingdom had a start. And Jesus tells us there's one place in there, a couple places where Jesus actually reminds me, says, look, if I cast out this demon, you know that the kingdom of God has come upon you. Jesus points to it and say, look, my power has come. And when you see the very servants, the most powerful forces of Satan being cast out, I mean, is there anything worse than being demon possessed if you really think about what that means, what that looks like, and what that really could entail for you personally? I mean, read about some of the examples of it. People throwing themselves into the fire, people living out by themselves, people running around naked. Their entire lives, people foaming at the mouth, people spewing out hatred and all kinds of things. If that was you, and if that, for them, personified evil at its height, seeing in that place, Jesus says, look, when you see Satan cast out of a person's life, it is evidence. It's a testimony that the kingdom has started to come. It was inaugurated when Jesus came. And Jesus came and gave testimony to that. Well, not only did it was a kingdom inaugurated, is that part of the progression, but the kingdom is being established as well. It is being established. If you look at the life of Jesus, Jesus said, I'm coming to bring my kingdom. I'm coming to build my church. You get this entire picture that is a process. It's something that is in the course of happening. And Jesus even says in this parable because some of them thought the kingdom was going to come right away. He wanted them to know that it wasn't going to appear instantly in its fullness. But although he had inaugurated, although he was beginning to build it, it was going to be a process. So the kingdom was inaugurated. The kingdom is being established and the kingdom will be fully realized one day as well. Jesus wanted them to know that when I returned, I won't eat of the bread and the wine until I eat it again with you at the bankening feast of heaven in my kingdom. Jesus says, even though it's coming, even though it's in process, it's not all here yet. So Jesus makes it clear in this parable because the point of this parable even seems to be from the very beginning, to let them know that this is a progression that they're a part of. And like them, we are here in this middle part of this kingdom being established realm. But a good example of this, and I think since we have so many UPC people here, Mark Bates, I gave this example a while back while I was there at church. It was a good example was thinking about the Declaration of Independence. When the Declaration of Independence was officially their sign in 1776, it declared our independence. But there was a whole battle to fight. Okay, once Britain, once England heard about it, they sent forces and this battle went on for a long time. And the realities of declaring the independence of the United States of America took years to be realized. And some would argue that today we're still not seeing the full realities of what the vision and the dream of this country meant to see people experiencing full freedoms. And I would argue to you that it can only happen through the gospel, the real freedom of the heart and the soul, whether some of the Christian heritage that our country started on can even be ultimately fulfilled until we see the gospel coming in power in our country. But it's a process even though we celebrate July 4th, that the Declaration of Independence being signed in our statement there, it was a beginning of the United States kingdom, it was inaugurated, but we're in this process of it. And all of us have hopes and dreams that we're still haven't, we're not done yet. You know, all you have to do is read the newspaper and think, you know, we declared independence, we declared freedoms and human rights and the importance of the value of a strong country and liberty, but there's still lots of people that don't have it yet, we're still fighting for it. It's just an example and a reminder to us. Well, what's so important about understanding the kingdom as a progression? What's the big deal? Three things. One, there is something to remember. There is something to remember that has happened. Jesus Christ initiated the kingdom by defeating the guilt and the power of sin. For those of us who are in Jesus Christ, when he died on the cross, when he was raised from the dead, we are reminded that Jesus paid the penalty for our sin. There was a consequence, according to the Bible, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Scripture tells us, Scripture tells us that the wages of sin is death. And even the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve are told, the day you eat of the fruit, you will surely die. They died spiritually instantly and their physical bodies soon followed years later. We are in a state that we have been saved from the consequence of sin, the guilt of it, and also its power. We don't have to function or live in any longer. So it's something for us to remember. That's the looking back. That's looking on its inauguration. But it's also something for us to do. The kingdom is being established and it's being established by his church. The Holy Spirit comes in our lives to reorient us to begin functioning according to our original design. The original design is very important. It's extremely important. This pen makes an excellent dart, okay? Because I've seen my kids throw something like this at one another. And if you throw it hard enough, it will break the skin in case you're wondering, okay? But this pen does not at all come to it's to really be used as modily as it can until you take the top off and the somebody takes their thoughts and writes it behind it. And then you can have a declaration of independence, can't you? And the power of that can be so much more. God has designed us. And so many people are content to live their lives with a wrong purpose. The power of understanding why you're created and who you are is extremely important. It sets us free. It tells us what we are to do. Thirdly, the progression of the kingdom, it gives us something to hope for. And I want you to think about these two statements real important for you to think about right now. No matter how good, and I'm sorry, no matter how bad or hard your life is tonight, it is going to get better. If Jesus Christ is your Savior and Lord, it is going to get better. And some of you are like, amen. I need to hear that. But maybe you're on the other spectrum here tonight. No matter how good or how great your life is here tonight, it is nothing. And I mean nothing compared to how good it's gonna be. That gives us hope. Hope that you're in a moment of despair of trial. And we all go through those seasons. It is going to be so much better. Hope that if we're going through a wonderful season of time, that you haven't seen anything yet. And I mean nothing yet compared to what God has revealed. Scripture say our eyes have not seen it or even begun to imagine what all God has in store for those that are his. It's a wonderful thing for us to know about this progression. The progression of the kingdom because his kingdom is indeed coming and has started, but it has just begun. Well first, the progression of the kingdom coming is our first thing we need to understand here tonight. But secondly, we need to understand the plan of the kingdom strategy. The plan of the kingdom strategy. I've already kind of referred to it a little bit here. I don't know how many of you from here with a guy named Farah Gray, but actually he was an article here in the ABC News online here today and you could have read about him. Here is a 21 year old guy who was at age 14 a millionaire. And he grew up in a rough section of downtown Chicago and then moved to rough section of Las Vegas. And by age six, he had his first full time regular job in the outside of school of course, but was working and earning money. An incredible story. Let me just read to you some of his thoughts on here that tell us some insights, I believe. I think it's on the screen or it will be. I believe the two most important times he says in a person's life is when we were born and when we find out why we were born, said Gray. And when we're able to find out why we were born, then we have found our area of excellence. He says ask yourself three questions. First, what comes easy to me but harder to others? The second question is what would you do for work for years and years and never have to get paid for it? And the third question is how can you be of service and how can you give back? Because I always say if you're here on earth and you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room. The wisdom of a 21 year old and he's not just a smart businessman, he has an understanding about life that we can all learn from. Understanding why we're here. I loved it when he said the second most important thing is not just when you were born but why were you born. And do you know the answer to that question tonight? Why were you born? The answer is to be part of this kingdom strategy. The answer is and we don't know that, understand that until we become Christians followers of Christ, truly following him as a Lord and Savior, not just carrying the title, not just being a card-caring member, believing your life or Jesus Christ. Let's look at some ways we can do that from this parable that it teaches us. First, use your minus, your money from God. And by the way, minus, let's just let that represent anything that God has given you, whether it's money, possessions, talents, whatever, but use your minus from God for him. How can you do that? One, there's the minus of possession and money. Objects you might have in your possession, money that you might have in your bank. And let me encourage you how, you know, to think, how is what you're working, what you have, working to bring the kingdom of God? How is the possessions that you have, and particularly your money? How is it working to bring the kingdom of God? Because God tells us we were designed for that purpose. And believe it or not, many of us are not happy today, even as Christians, because we continue to struggle finding that, that is what brings us happiness and contentment is knowing our purpose, knowing our creator, having a personal relationship with them, knowing what he's called us to do, and functioning in that regard. When I think about this, I'm not sure if they're, I'm not seeing me here tonight, I think of the leases, Jerry and Janet Leasey, when I think of possessions. Here's some folks that I got a, are they out there? Leaseys? All right, I'm picking on with them and not being here, but they got a brand new 15 passenger van. I think it was pretty brand new. Anyway, it has been on every youth trip I think we've had. And I was a youth director for six years. I know what youth do to vans that are borrowed, especially ones that go Benjamin Wright for like a week long trip and stuff, things that can happen to that. And Benjamin's family used to loan out their van all the time when I was a youth director, but I think the leases have, they say, no, this is not our van. This van belongs to God. And Jerry and Janet have been faithful to let it go. I think just about every single youth trip we've had so far. Well, not just think about your possessions and money, what about your minas of talents? Your minas of skills. Your minas of abilities. How are your unique talents and skills and abilities being used to bring the kingdom of God? The way God has uniquely gifted you. Ways that only you can do is actually what you can do. How are you bringing the kingdom of God? I mean, I think a day of real heart. Dave's here somewhere here tonight. There it's Dave. Dave has come in and he has set up our sounds this year and he has written manuals on things, but Dave, if you know Dave knows a lot about computers and a lot about technology and things like that, he's dove in and use that. Now I tell you, I can kind of do some of that, but you don't want me in charge of all that. I know just enough to be dangerous. And some of you don't even know that. We don't want my son, Reese, designing our sound system. Trust me on that because he knows nothing. And his dad knows just a little bit more. But you get a day of real heart back there or what day of real heart knows tons about computers. Dave's come into our office and he's fixed up things in our computers, he's set things up. And then you got things happening. Or Benjamin Leppard, in fact they're working on getting our video stuff set up. Some of these unique gifts and abilities get in play and they can bring the kingdom in powerful ways. Ways that I can't. Ways that you can't, perhaps. What about your mind as of circumstances? How are you using your unique circumstances to bring his kingdom? Do you realize there are things in your circumstance that other people don't have in common? Okay, Dan Boss is the guy that's kind of alive. I'm glad Dan's here tonight so you guys can come talk to him. But Dan is dealing with brain cancer, a brain tumor. And I've seen it true of Dan and Beth and the rest of the family there. They are using their circumstances to bring glory to God. The reason why I know, because people tell on them, okay, like when I went to go see Dan in the hospital and Dan was asleep and I don't want to wake Dan up. And nobody else was around. Nurses came up and told on him. I said, this is a special family. And I'm like, yeah, I know that. But the nurses knew that. And how do the nurses know that? Because they're taking their circumstances when many people could have run to despair. And I'm sure they've struggled with despair. Many people could have run to hopelessness. Many people could have been just simply angry at God. I think we all would have struggled with angry with God, but they have chosen to run to him. And they've chosen to set an example for him that's been incredible. And if you don't know the boss family, don't miss the opportunity. Get to know them. But that's just an example of those kind of circumstances. What is your circumstance here tonight? How can you uniquely testify and give glory to God or somebody else can't? What about your mind as an influence? Who and what can you uniquely influence for God? Do you realize that you have influence that nobody else has? If you're a parent here tonight, you have influence, incredible influence, over your son or daughter or a group of them, that nobody else is going to have. If you're a dad, nobody's going to have the impact and be their dad like you can be. And that can be an influence for good or for bad. If you're a mom, nobody else is going to have influence on that child's life like a mom can. Good or bad? You have incredible influence. Are you a place that work where you have people working underneath you? You have opportunity of influence. Are you at a place where you are maybe in an organization? But you have people that you're kind of overseeing and working with. You have influence. Where and how and where are you taking opportunities to bring God's kingdom to play in those areas? Well, so the first thing understanding the plan for God's kingdom of strategy is using your minus, whatever those are. Whatever God has given you, use it for his glory. Secondly, under this, get to work until he returns. Get to work. This whole parable talks about Jesus' expectation to come back and to see that we have done something. So the challenge is for us to get to work, to do it. And when we ask you this, what you've been given comes with a responsibility. And are you working it? Whatever God has given you, has that responsibility. You know, I really think that we need a shift. We have to have a shift in understanding that our primary job, what we do to bring home a paycheck, that's not our primary job, or what we do because maybe you're a kid and you're a student in school. That's not your primary job. And whatever you do to bring home a paycheck is not either, but your primary job, the one you've been designed and crafted for is bringing the kingdom of God. Kids, you won't always be in school. So please don't let that be your primary job because it's gonna switch. And you know what, you adults, you may not always be employed in the place you are. And maybe one day, and probably most of you plan on retiring at some point, from that job. That can't be your primary job. It cannot be what your life is evolved around. But there is something that it can be. And that's bringing the kingdom of God. Whether you have this job, that job, whether you're a student now, whether you're an employee or you start your own company one day, or whether you are a stay-at-home mom, I don't know what your situation is, but your primary job never changes. And we've got to understand that. One thing that's neat, I think, I got to see this growing up, is with my own father. My father was a commercial artist. And he was a good commercial artist. But you know what, some of the criticism he got, you know, people thought he could be a better commercial artist if he didn't really get so involved with people's lives. If he didn't take up all these kind of freebie jobs to help out organizations that didn't have enough money to pay for commercial advertising, he could make a lot more money in the bank and do a lot better, make a bigger profit. People accused him of mixing, making, running his organization more, his business, more like a church, than a business. And I look back and then I go, thank God. What a picture. To see somebody has an understanding that what his business really was, and what his calling really was, was much more than being the president of an advertising agency. It was bringing the kingdom of God. And the bottom line was not profit and making money. But it was impacting his world. And it's why after he died, I believe, the Christian Book Cellar Association, if you're in that field, it's what does all the Christian advertising, gave the first ever Lifetime Achievement Award and it went to my dad. And we got a chance to go out there and receive that. What a legacy. What a blessing for a son to be able to carry that on. What legacy are you leaving behind with that? I think of, we think of work too. We often think of, gosh, in the American society, we always are looking towards retirement. The day that we can kind of cut back and kick back, and gosh, we live in the state of Florida, right? Where all the retirees often come to live that life of playing golf, going to the beach, doing whatever you might want to do with that. But I'm so glad, or the sea legs. I'm so glad there's Larry sea legs out there. I think of Dave's dad when I thought about this. Here's a guy that's retired. He's a minister who's retired. But you know what? I think that his ministry is only increased as he goes off. He's going on mission trips, he and his wife, all of the kinds of different places. He's going on, he's having a good time in retirement. Don't get me wrong, okay? But he's signing up to be the chaplain on these cruise ships. So when he's off going on a cruise ship with his wife, and they'll let you go free if you do that, by the way, as that's my understanding at least, he is doing ministry though. When people are going through crisis on the boat and they want to talk to somebody, he's doing it. And I think it's just a great example of, we don't ever retire. We were made for work. Now that's not saying you shouldn't retire from your actual job. It's saying your real job, your primary job, you will never retire from. And you never should. And you shouldn't want to, because it's who you are. Well, not only should we take our minds from God and use them, not only should we get to work, but we are to invest and we are to increase. The goal is to increase God's glory here on earth. The goal is to bring more into the kingdom community. The goal is to bring the reality of the kingdom to earth as it is in heaven. That's why he tells us to pray that kingdom come. That I will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Jesus said, that's a model for prayer. That ought to be part of what you're praying in every area of your life. That I should lead this earth a little bit more like heaven when I go than it was when I got there. Whatever your place is. Well, first, we looked at here tonight, the progression of the kingdom coming. Second, we looked at the plan of the kingdom coming. Lastly, tonight, let's look at the people of the kingdom community, the people of the kingdom community. We're told there's least three people here in this parable that Jesus refers to. And the first one, this is a group that's called the enemies of the king, and he shares about that right there at the end of the very last verse. He says, but those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them, bring them here and kill them in front of me. There was a judgment for that. There was a time they were allowed to refuse. They were a time they were allowed to reject the one true king, but that was only for a period of time. And folks, here tonight, sometimes we thank Jesus. It's such a sweet God and a sigh. He's gracious. He's merciful. And yes, he is all those things. But he is also a holy, a righteous God, a God that is a God of justice, and a God who does not share his glory with anybody. And he tells us that his return, his second coming, is going to look very different than his first. His first was in meekness and humility. And what's going to be so amazing is that the meek humble God that he still is, is going to come though, displaying his side of holiness and righteousness. He describes himself as one coming on a white horse, one whose name is faithful and true, coming, leading, bringing the armies of heaven, coming, bringing final judgment, and restoring all things. He's coming as a mighty warrior in a second coming. He's a powerful God. So the enemies of the king here were told, and let's talk about that for a second. These people that did not want him to be king, because they have an external side and they also have an internal side. The enemies of the king externally look like this. They're not associated, and they are hostile to the king. In fact, the word enemy here could actually be interpreted in the original language as hostile ones, but those hostile ones, the ones that didn't want to be king. In fact, when he refers to them earlier, as this.