The City of God

God is working in history, building His Kingdom-City which cannot be destroyed.

Scripture: Psalm 48

Sermon Notes:

1. This Psalm is about the work that God is doing in history, building the kingdom-city of God which cannot be destroyed.
2. Christ now is the true temple, and we're being built together into the City of God (1 Pet 2:5; cf. Psalm 76, 84, 87, 122).
3. Jesus is working on the New Jerusalem, coming down from heaven (1 John 2:28-3:3).
4. God's evaluation of the kingdom is not the same as ours.
5. When the disciples asked for the best seats in the kingdom, Jesus answered that whoever humbles himself like a child, and welcomes a child in My name is greatest.
6. Only the humble and contrite can enter the kingdom.
7. We will never enter the kingdom until we submit ourselves to Christ.
8. It's critical that we keep our minds and hearts fixed on the work of God in history.
9. The eternal city is not an ethereal place; it has gates, walls and gardens, and its citizens have resurrected bodies.
10. All that God is calling us to do now is significant for the purposes of God's kingdom and the eternal state.
11. Our vision is to glorify God by communicating the Lordship of Christ to our city. Westminster Chapel’s Four Pillars are Regeneration and Revival; Education; Apologetics; and Proclamation (R.E.A.P.).
12. Augustine wrote that God's city is established in history while the rebel city is judged by God.
13. The state of our city is not cause for discouragement; wickedness has been popular before. Abel was among the first martyrs of the city of God.
14. John Milton wrote Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained as a reflection on losses and gains in kingdom history.
15. God's kingdom city gives us hope for time and eternity.
16. If we are obedient we can inherit the land (Matthew 5:5).
17. In Christ we are heirs of the whole earth; all the kings shall bring their treasures to the city of God (Revelation 21:24).
18. This is a challenging time but we must not despair; God is still on the throne; we're to be faithful to our task in humility.
19. Our lives are to be fixed on everlasting things; a biblical vision of heaven indicates transformation, contemplation, and dominion; we will be like Him (1 John 3:2); everything in our lives has total meaning under God;
20. If we cannot rule our own selves, we will never be fit to rule over angels in the kingdom of God.
21. The city of God is praising and serving for all eternity; all the potentiality that God has put in us will be fully realized.
22. In the city of God there is an identity between work and rest. It's worshiping and serving God. Man is to cultivate and create a culture out of creation.
23. As bearers of God's image, we are mini-creators. We're to cultivate the creation; the city of God is established by the service of God's people.
24. We still need one another, in a community with differing potentialities and skills. We're a community like the Trinity.
25. In the eternal state, all our desiring is fulfilled in Him.
26. We’re not to grow weary of doing good (1 John 2-3).

Application Questions:

1. Read 1 John 2:28-3:3. What are the implications of this passage for our lives and priorities?
2. What is the significance of our present work for God?
3. Are we focused on the temporary, or are our lives guided by a proper vision of God's kingdom purposes?
4. How do Westminster Chapel’s four pillars each contribute to the work and increase of God’s kingdom?
5. What should be our response to the challenging circumstances of our time?
6. How is self-rule related to serving in God’s kingdom?