1. Introduction:

It was a winter night in New York City when a young Puerto Rican woman hurried to use the pay phone in the neighborhood bar. She ignored the slurred comments from the half-drunken patrons and went straight to the bartender to ask for change. But there was an immediate communication problem--she spoke only Spanish, and he spoke only English.

In her effort to transmit her need she became upset. Her voice rose with emotion as she shouted her words, hoping to be understood. The busy bartender, not understanding her outburst, shouted back in the only language he knew. Finally, infuriated, he called the police.

When the police arrived, the uncontrolled woman continued to gesture and explain her situation in Spanish. But the police understood only English. Not knowing what to do to calm the now hysterical woman, they called an ambulance.

The ambulance attendants rushed to the bar and tried in vain to talk to the Puerto Rican woman. But they spoke only English. Feeling trapped by all the uniformed men, the woman became more frightened and outraged. In frustration, the attendants forcefully wheeled her away to the psychiatric unit of a nearby urban hospital.

For three long days she lay strapped in her bed before a Spanish-speaking social worker was called in. The resulting conversation sent the social worker dashing to the Puerto Rican woman's small apartment. But she was too late--for there lay three small children, dead from thirst!

The young mother had only wanted correct change to make a phone call to her doctor. But she didn't speak the language in which help was available. What a tragedy!

I wonder how many other people will die in the world because they're totally unprepared to meet their God because they don't speak the language in which salvation is available?

I wonder how many of us right here may not fully understand the Bible because its message is written in a different language?

Now I'll bet that even my sermon title this morning is Greek to you. I know that because it is transliterated Greek. Basileia Tou Theou means the Kingdom of God. And tragically this vital Biblical theme is foreign to most of us.

The language of the Bible is dominated by Kingdom Theology and yet we hear so little about it in sermons and we read so little about it in our books and journals. Actually today Kingdom Theology is almost a foreign language to us. And that greatly worries and concerns me. Let me illustrate this from a personal experience:

Elder Donald G. Reynolds came as a guest speaker to one of our Minnesota Conference workers meetings. His topic was on Christian Leadership. He was an interesting speaker. At one point he asked for questions. When one pastor made a certain comment, Elder Reynolds replied oddly, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." I had never heard such a comment before. He said those words in English but to me they were very foreign. What was that all about? What exactly did it mean? From the context of the conversation I knew it was a good thing but admittedly I felt like an outsider looking in! I didn't realize until recently that Elder Reynolds was actually quoting Mark 12:34, "When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, 'You are not far from the kingdom of God.'"

That day I made a decision to learn more about Kingdom Theology and its meaning. At first I didn't study it systematically, rather I just started paying attention each time the word was used. Each time I heard the term 'Kingdom of God' or 'Kingdom of heaven' my attention perked up. More recently I have studied this topic more intentionally. Today I would like to introduce it to you. We need to understand the Biblical truth of the Kingdom of God.

In fact, I'm afraid that if we don't understand this concept, much of the Bible's message will be foreign to us. We can't understand the message and miracles of Jesus unless they are interpreted in the setting of His kingdom.

2. The Basics of the Kingdom of God.

1. Conclusion:

Not understanding a foreign language can sometimes be embarrassing. At other times it can even get you into trouble. And sometimes it can even be so serious as to cost you your life.

I was climbing a mountain during a spring break in Korea. About half way up the mountain there was a sign painted in red letters. I could tell that it was important but I couldn't understand it. My guide and friend fortunately was Korean and translated the sign's message. "Warning: Do not go past this point. Snow avalanches ahead."

Sometimes ignorance isn't bliss. It's important to be able to understand other languages. The Bible has an important life and death message for us on this planet. Praise the Lord we have God's Word translated into English for us. However, we do have cultural blindness and biases that make it a challenge for us to fully understand.

 

2. Appeal:

I hope that I have stimulated your curiosity and aroused your interest concerning Kingdom Theology. Pastor Gerry and I will be preaching more sermons on this topic.