Kingdom Living in a Hostile World

I am not feeling well today. My wife, Crystal, has been dealing with severe cold-like symptoms for the past week or so. And, apparently, I am either catching or have caught whatever she has. I started feeling really bad in the middle of a meeting yesterday afternoon. It was just a couple of hours before our Midweek Service. And when I finished my meeting, I grabbed by Bible and laptop and went home. I got in the bed and was there from 7 PM last night to 7 AM this morning. Before I left the office, George (my friend, associate pastor, and staff member), prayed for me and walked me to my car. Then he had to scurry back to his office to get ready to preach in my place! I have not yet heard how the service went last night. But I trust that George did a good job.

Last night, I was going to preach a message entitled, "Kingdom Living in a Hostile World." The text is Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 - the parable of the wheat and the weeds. The point of the message is that the Lord Jesus is building the kingdom in the midst of hostile opposition. The general outline is as follows:

I. The Establishment of the Kingdom in the Earth
A. Jesus is sowing righteousness in the earth.
B. Satan is sowing wickedness in the earth.
II. The Co-Existence of the Kingdom with Evil
A. The Patience of the Lord
B. The Purpose of the Lord
III. The Victory of the Kingdom at the End
A. The Lord will remove the wicked at the end.
B. The Lord will reveal the righteous at the end.

I know that that the presentation of this outline does not explain the details of the message. But I couldn't resist. I still have the sermon in my system. And I don't know when I am going to have the opportunity to preach it. Anyway, I will have to get out of bed soon. I am scheduled to preach tonight and tomorrow for Pastor Percy Harper at the St. Mark Baptist Church in San Bernardino, CA. I also have to press on with my preparation to preach this coming Sunday. I have been planning to preach 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. But I may preach this "Kingdom Living" message instead. I am not sure yet. I have to pray about it. Fast. Ultimately, I need to get some rest. When I catch a cold, rest is the only thing that really helps me to feel better. But my time is limited and my deadlines are looming. So the adventure continues.