Lesson 103: The Kingdom is Not Yet Here (Luke 17:22-37)

It’s clear from Scripture that Christians are meant to anticipate with eagerness the return of Jesus. But then there are cautions that we are given to help us be on guard against any kind of false appearance that people will be tempted to fixate on. In the end though, just as the disciples would know the voice of their Master, so they would recognize the authentic second coming of Jesus. Pastor Daniel encourages his listeners to consider that, “forsaking life now is essential preparation for future kingdom life.” Presenting five key words for us to hang our thoughts on as we think about the coming of the kingdom, he challenges us to consider 1) the future, 2) the visible nature of Christ’s return, 3) the rejection that Jesus endures first, 4) the suddenness of His coming, and 5) the destructive nature of His arrival. We are to consider these things and then prepare for the coming kingdom through clinging to Christ and dying to self.

Summary by Seth Kempf, Bethany Community Church Staff