Lesson 82: Bad News about the Kingdom (Luke 13:22-30)

Some of the answers that Jesus gave to questions about eternity had to leave people wishing that they had perhaps not thought to ask. While we’re always better off knowing the truth so that we can set our course according to the will of God, that sometimes means we have to face some chilling realities—statements from the King that remind us of our complete dependence upon Him for direction, grace, and mercy. Pastor Daniel brings one such difficult/warning truth before us as we open up again to Luke 13. He emphasizes, “The bad news about the kingdom of God is that you may be excluded from it…don’t be!” Echoing Jesus’s words, he makes the points that 1) You must strive to enter the kingdom, 2) Your time to enter the kingdom is limited, and 3) Your assumption that you are part of the kingdom may be wrong. The great news, however, is that people have the opportunity to be included in the kingdom of God through faith and repentance. There IS life available in Jesus’s name.

Summary by Seth Kempf, Bethany Community Church Staff