THE KINGDOM IS ALREADY HERE/ NOT YET HERE

Introduction: The Kingdom of God is something that Jesus spoke about a lot. It was, perhaps, his favourite topic. At times, he said, “The Kingdom is here,” while at other times, he proclaimed, “The Kingdom is coming.”

For starters, the Kingdom is everywhere that God rules and reigns, but what did Jesus mean with his apparently contradictory statements? Let’s look at the Bible…

The Kingdom of God is… Now

Ask people in your group to read these verses out loud, have some Bibles ready for those who don’t own one and let them take them away as their own.

Luke 17: 20-21 (NIV)

Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”

Matthew 11: 12 (New Living Translation) From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and violent people are attacking it.

Mark 1: 15 (NIV) “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!”

Question for discussion

•What’s your favourite Bible story where the Kingdom of God breaks through? Where Jesus heals someone, casts out a demon, feeds the 5,000 or raises someone from the dead? What do you like about it? Unpack the stories as a group.

•When have you seen the Kingdom of God breaking through? Healing stories, God’s power breaking through in difficult situations? Encourage your group to share stories and then ask questions of each other.