John 18:33-40
1. King, v. 33-35
-John 1:48-49
-John 6:15
Kings were known for three things...
power
wealth
control
2. Kingdom, v. 36-37
“The Gospel is a spiritual reality about a spiritual reality… the availability of life under the rule of the heavens.” -Dallas Willard
-Matthew 4:17
-Luke 19:11-27
“Consumer Christianity is now normative. The consumer Christian is one who utilizes the grace of God for forgiveness and the services of the church for special occasions, but does not give his or her life and innermost thoughts, feelings, and intentions over to the kingdom of the heavens. Such Christians are not inwardly transformed and not committed to it.”
-Dallas Willard
There are two gross errors in modern theology regarding the biblical concept of the kingdom of God:
1) over-realized eschatology- we have realized the fullness of the Kingdom of God now.
2) under-realized eschatology- the Kingdom of God is totally futuristic- in no sense does it exist already.
3) biblically balanced eschatology- the Kingdom of God is both already and not yet
3. Truth, v. 37-40
Core beliefs of the modern mind…
a) Nothing exists
b) Even if something exists, nothing can be known about it
c) Even if something can be known about it, knowledge about it can’t be communicated to others.
d) Even if it can be communicated, it cannot be understood.
-Gorgias, 483-375 B.C. Greek philosopher, nihilist
A) Relativism
The claim: “Absolute truth does not exist.”
Why it’s self-refuting: The claim “absolute truth does not exist” is either absolutely true or it’s not. But, of course, it can’t be absolutely true, since that would create a contradiction: we would have proven the existence of an absolute truth, the claim itself. Since it cannot be absolutely true, we must concede that there are some cases in which the proposition “absolute truth does not exist” must be false… in which case, we’re back to affirming the existence of absolute truth.
What we can know: Absolute truth exists. Put another way, the claim “absolute truth exists” is absolutely true.
B) Skepticism
The claim: “We can’t know anything for certain.”
Why it’s self-refuting: Take the most mild-seeming statement: “I don’t know if we can know anything for certain.” What you’re really saying is that, “I know that my knowledge on whether anything can be known for certain is inconclusive.” So you’re still affirming something: that you know your knowledge to be inconclusive.
What we can know: Absolute truth exists, and is knowable.
C) Scientific Materialism
The claim: “All truth is empirically or scientifically testable.”
Why it’s self-refuting: We say, “We cannot know if anything is true outside of the natural sciences”? What you are really saying is, “I know that my knowledge on the truth of things outside of the natural sciences is inconclusive.” But the natural sciences can never establish your ignorance of truths outside the natural sciences. So to make this claim, you need to affirm as certain a truth that you could not have derived from the natural sciences.
What we can know: There exists absolute and knowable truth, outside of the realm of the natural sciences, and not subject to empirical and scientific testing.
Questions for consideration…
Who or what do you submit to?
Where do you want to be somebody?
What is happening when you think, “That is what life in the Kingdom of God must be like?
What question is your faith, lack of faith or abse