1. Two Kingdoms Luke 6:17-26

2. Belief/Values > Thinking > Emotions > Behavior False Beliefs > Harmful Emotions > Destructive Behavior False Beliefs about Situations > Harmful Emotions > Destructive behaviors

3. Teachings from the Mountains The association with a mountain—Jesus delivers this sermon in the mountains just above the sea of Galilee. Revolutionaries come from the mountains— he’s coming to bring a kingdom A kingdom has three things: a pattern of values, a power to implement, a product (an impact on people’s lives) He replaces the kingdom that exists. You are either a citizen of one or the other.

4. Col. 1:13For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, Romans 13:12 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

5. 1. Understanding the patterns of the two kingdoms. a.The values of the kingdom Jesus came to replace—verses 23-26 1. Power 2. Comfort 3. Gloat-laugh with derision, success 4. Recognition-fame, all men speak well of you. b. Stay away from: weakness, sacrifice, grief, exclusion

6. c. It seems so natural to live by the values of the kingdom of this world. The power of now. 1. If the now is all that there is, then this is the right kingdom 2. Survival of the fittest. 3. Psychologically natural—the spirit of Christianity is masochism d. All the results are temporary. Jesus says woe to you. What if there is an eternal world? How do we know that Jesus is right? Jesus came down from the mountain healing, feeding, heading to a cross. The handwriting was on the wall. Daniel 5 Your days are numbered. If you are living for yourself, your kingdom is crumbling, your days are numbered, unless you’re living in an upside down kingdom.

7. In the life of God’s people there is a reversal of values. What the world calls pitiable we prize. The Upside down kingdom 1. The reversal of values in regard to the world: Not controlled by them. A Christian is able to have them in your life, but you can take them or you can leave them: power, comfort, success, and recognition a. Blessed are you who weep now and can still be blessed b. Blessedness is a deep sense of satisfaction c. Rejoice and leap for joy—great is your reward in heaven d. Rejoice in the day you are excluded

8. Acts 7 Stephen looks to heaven Col. 3:1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Contradiction in the worldly critique of Christianity 1. Opiate of the masses—dulling your senses to take the abuse and injustice. 2. If this is all there is, why would I risk anything. 3. If there is an eternal destiny, I can risk everything.

9. 2. The power for the new kingdom in verse 19 And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all. If the prophets have always lived by these values, how much more will our great prophet live by these values. a. He did not come as an example: not a power, but a burden b. Everything he did was to reverse fortunes with you. He took your place. He put you where he deserved to be, and he took the place you deserve to be. c. The only way to receive his power is to be poor in spirit.

10. Two approaches 1. I have nothing to bring. I receive by grace his power through faith. His reversal of fortune becomes a reversal of fortunes. 2. He owes you something. You demand that he give you the four things that Jesus speaks woe to. The kingdom is near to you when you know that you’re poor, weak, grieving, and excluded. Reckless sacrifice with everything I have in this world, not afraid of sacrifice.

11. 3. The Impact of this kingdom Deliberate duality—the poor or the poor in spirit Those who are poor tend to avoid the delusion that they have control. There is a receptivity to grace in powerlessness. The poor do not normally have an ethically, morally based religion, they tend to value the blood of Jesus.