The Signs of the Kingdom
A Sermon on Luke 17:20-21
Originally preached May 12, 1963
Scripture
20¶ And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: 21Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
Sermon Description
From the time Jesus Christ went around Palestine preaching until the present century, there is a misunderstanding of the arrival the kingdom of God. There is a common fallacy shared by the Pharisees, Pilate, and the disciples long ago that also is shared today by the Roman Catholic church and liberal Protestant advocates of the social gospel. In this sermon on Luke 17:20–21 titled “The Signs of the Kingdom,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones states that they all believe the kingdom of God comes visibly and through social participation. In this passage, Jesus issues a strong warning to the contemporary church concerning the danger of believing the kingdom is brought about through legislation, social reform, or military conquest. Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues that the forms of the kingdom of God are quite clear from Scripture. In the past, the kingdom of God came in the power and presence of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Presently, the kingdom of God is manifested in the body of Christ—the church—as He reigns in their hearts. In the future, the kingdom of God will be fully visible when Christ returns at His second advent. Listen to Dr. Lloyd-Jones’s teaching on the kingdom, avoid errors common to the modern church, embrace the truths given here, and learn how to belong to the realm in which Christ reigns.
Sermon Breakdown
- The kingdom of God is misunderstood. People expect it to come visibly and externally.
- The Pharisees and others expected the Messiah to come as a military and political leader to free Israel from Rome.
- Even John the Baptist, the disciples, and Jesus' own brothers misunderstood and expected a visible kingdom.
- The kingdom of God comes in three forms:
- In Jesus' presence and power during His earthly ministry. His miracles showed the kingdom of God had come.
- In the church, the body of believers who have submitted to Jesus as Lord.
- In the future, visible return of Christ to judge, purge evil, and set up an eternal kingdom.
- The kingdom of God comes within us and among us when we recognize Jesus as the Son of God and submit to His rule.
- We must accept Jesus' teaching and diagnosis of us as lost sinners in need of salvation.
- We must surrender to Jesus as the only way of salvation through faith in His atoning death.
- When Jesus is our everything, and we desire only Him, the kingdom of God is within us.
Sermon Q&A
What Did Martyn Lloyd-Jones Teach About the Kingdom of God?
What is the Kingdom of God according to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the Kingdom of God is not a visible political or social entity, but rather the realm in which God reigns. As he explains, "What is the kingdom of God? Well, it's a manifestation of the power of God. It's a manifestation of God's reign. It's a manifestation of the fact that God is superior to the elements of nature, that he's superior to the devils and everything that's evil. The kingdom of God is God's reign. It's God reigning." The Kingdom is not something that comes with external observation but is a spiritual reality that manifests in several forms.
How does the Kingdom of God come according to Lloyd-Jones?
Lloyd-Jones explains that the Kingdom of God comes in three primary forms: 1. It came with "the very presence and power manifested by the Lord Jesus Christ himself" when Christ was on earth 2. It exists now in the true church (not as an institution but as the body of believers in whom Christ reigns) 3. It will come in its final visible form when Christ returns to establish his eternal kingdom
As Lloyd-Jones states: "The kingdom of God cometh not with observation. Neither shall they say, low here or low there. For, behold, the kingdom of God is within you" (or "among you").
What common misconceptions about the Kingdom of God does Lloyd-Jones address?
Lloyd-Jones identifies several misconceptions about the Kingdom of God: - That it comes through military or political power (like the Jews expected) - That it is equivalent to the Roman Catholic Church or any institutional church - That it comes through social reform, legislation, or political activism - That it comes through protest movements or social justice campaigns - That it is merely about following Christ's moral teachings or imitating him
He says: "People complain of the empty chapels and churches today. Why are they empty? I think one of the main reasons is this, that... the kingdom of God became lost between these two rival parties. The whole thing had been materialized."
How does a person enter the Kingdom of God according to Lloyd-Jones?
According to Lloyd-Jones, a person enters the Kingdom of God through: 1. Recognizing who Jesus truly is - the Son of God incarnate 2. Accepting Christ's demands and teaching as right 3. Accepting Christ's diagnosis that we are lost sinners 4. Submitting entirely to Christ's way of salvation through his death on the cross 5. Making an absolute, total surrender to Christ as Lord and Savior
As he puts it: "The kingdom of God comes into you when you see that he's Son of God, and you humble yourself at his feet and you say, 'my Lord and my God,' and you give yourself utterly, absolutely to him, and you enter the kingdom as you do so, and the kingdom comes into you, and he reigns in your heart."
Why does Lloyd-Jones stress the importance of understanding the true nature of the Kingdom?
Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that understanding the true nature of the Kingdom of God is crucial because: 1. The world is in terrible trouble and needs the true Christian message 2. There is tremendous confusion about what Christianity actually is 3. Many false teachings about the Kingdom have led people astray 4. Our eternal destiny depends on believing the true gospel 5. The church must give a clear, not confused, message to the world
He states: "Nothing is more important at the present hour than that we should be perfectly clear in our minds as to what this Christian message rarely is. What does Christianity offer to people? What is it? How can we become Christian? Those are the questions which it seems to me we've got to answer at this present time."
Sermons on the Kingdom of God
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.