Just by a show of hands, how many of you have been to Disney World or Disney Land?  Those of you who have been are then most certainly aware of the most famous kingdom on the planet today—the make-believe kingdom called the Magic Kingdom.

Can you imagine if this entire world was indeed a magic kingdom?  Think about it:  everything would be clean; everybody would be nice; all news would be good news; the only work would be play, and the only object would be fun; and life would be a thrill a minute (James Merritt, “The King and His Kingdom).  

But the other reality would be:  none of us could afford it—wow is it expensive at the Magic Kingdom—not to mention the Animal Kingdom!

Beginning today, we will journey to another Kingdom.  A Kingdom which certainly is sustained by Good News; and offers a life filled with thrills; and is more than we can afford; but nevertheless, our admission has been paid; but is all together different than Disney’s.

Today we will begin a seven week look into the Kingdom of God.  Where is it?  What is it?  Are we there yet?  How do we enjoy it?  How do we get there?  

You see, I am convinced that Christians know more about the Magic Kingdom than we do about the Kingdom of God.

Thus, we need to do some Homework!

Let’s begin in Matthew 6: 9-13.


    Location, location, location.  That is what most realtors will tell you is the most important advice to remember when purchasing a home.  You may pay a little more; you may have to put a little work into it; you may even have to change some of your spending habits, but at the end of the day—location, location, location will prove to be sound advice.  

    There is something about location that brings with it security.  If you know your home is in a good location—despite the realities of what is going on all around, you still feel a sense of security in a good location.  Is there any doubt that many of us choose the location of Albany to call home, at least in part, because of the security we feel?  But also, a home in the proper location seems to hold its value.  Sure, values will fluctuate given the change of market conditions but a home purchased in the proper location—within the respected school district, near the clean parks, with reliable neighborhood security, with accessibility to major roads, and definitive zoning laws—it always seems to hold its value.

    “Thy Kingdom come…”—location, location, location.

We pray it every Sunday and in some cases, every day.  But I wonder, why do we pray “Thy Kingdom come?”  Are we hopeful for something different than what we have now?  Do we secretly long to be in a different location?  Is the location we are in something other than the Kingdom?  Is the Kingdom of God not on our personal GPS?  

The Kingdom of God was the central theme of the preaching and teaching of Jesus.  There are over 80 references to the Kingdom in the New Testament.  The first sermon Jesus ever preached was on the Kingdom of God.  He said in Mark 1: 15, “The time has come; the kingdom of God is near.  Repent and believe the good news!”  Jesus tells us the Kingdom is something to be sought, “But seek first his kingdom…” (Matthew 6: 33).  Jesus used numerous parables to teach His hearers what the Kingdom was like.  In Luke 17, Jesus went so far as to say the Kingdom was within us—He said, “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation nor will people say, ‘Here it is, or there it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.”  But also, we are taught by Jesus that the Kingdom of God is not something we purchase but instead it is inherited.  

Of course speaking of the Kingdom is an endless conversation.  Words cannot exhaust the depth of the Kingdom—as the word says, “No eye has seen, nor ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2: 9).  But nevertheless, I believe that we must search—as if searching for the perfect location to call home—we must search the depths of the Kingdom and discern what we are really praying when we pray “Thy Kingdom come..”

Could it be that we pray for His Kingdom to come because we know the kingdoms we are building are lacking?  Could it be that we pray for His Kingdom to come because we long for something more—more than this world can offer?  Could it be that we pray for His Kingdom to come because we want so desperately to move into a living relationship with the King of the Kingdom?  Could it be that we pray for His Kingdom to come because we think it would be so much easier if Jesus would just come rather than our having to adhere to Kingdom living on this earth?  

Have you heard of the term “Eminent Domain?”  It refers to the power possessed by the state over all property within the state, specifically its power to appropriate property for public use.  The way it works is relatively straight forward:  The government attempts to negotiate the purchase of the property for a fair value, if the owner does not wish to sell, the government files a court action to exercise eminent domain, and serves or publishes notice of the hearing as required by law.  Then, a hearing is scheduled, at which the government must demonstrate that it engaged in good faith negotiations to purchase the property, but that no agreement was reached.  Then, if an agreement is reached, any payment to the owner is first used to satisfy any mortgages or liens and then the remaining balance is paid to the owner.  But did you know this:  The term “condemnation” is used to describe the formal act of the exercise of the power of eminent domain to transfer title to the property from its private owner to the government.

Interesting, don’t you think, that Romans 8: 1 says, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.”

Friends, the Kingdom of God is Imminent all right!  And no doubt the dominion belongs to Him.  

Psalm 22: 27-28 says, “All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations.”

Imminent Domain—refers to the power possessed by the Almighty God over everything and everyone—regardless of location.  The price was negotiated on the Cross when Jesus Christ paid it all for you and for me.  The Kingdom has been established and will be forever fulfilled when Jesus comes again.  But as we continue to cry out to the Lord for His Kingdom to come we must do so with hearts that are prepared to negotiate with the Living God—not for things of this world but for the promises that are not of this world.  And over the next several weeks I pray we will allow the Kingdom to seize our hearts in a way like never before—I pray we will begin to have Kingdom vision.

Let me close with this:  A number of years ago, leaders in a church decided to track down the congregation’s “drop-outs.”  They decided to send out volunteers two-by-two to go door to door and invite the absent members back to the church.

As is often the case, the volunteer visitors discovered that most of the people they visited had found other things to do on Sunday mornings.  One person said, “I would come back to the church if it didn’t conflict with my tennis time.”  Another said, “We came to church when our kids were involved.  When they outgrew Sunday school, we stopped going.”  Another said, “I enjoy going on the really big days, like Christmas and Easter.”

One response was different though—one man said, “I’ll tell you why I don’t go to church anymore.  It’s because I got in the habit of reading the Sunday paper before I went to worship on Sunday.  It’s an awful world out there.  Wars break out, families fall apart, and people die prematurely.  Listen, the world is falling apart.”

One of the volunteers responded to the man and said, “You ought to come back—we have a nice minister and a Bible study on Wednesday nights.  You might enjoy our program.”

The man said, “No, I don’t think so.  I don’t go to church anymore.  The church has nothing to say.”

Friends, we live in a world that begs for the answers only the Kingdom can give.  We live in a world where the church must say something.  And my hope is we will begin to say with our lives, “Thy Kingdom come…beginning with me.”

Location, location, location!

The Kingdom of God is the Imminent Domain—there is nothing make believe about it!  

AMEN.