TNG 3 Facts About the Coming of Christ

Best-selling author, speaker, and advocate for Christian apologetics, Dr. Alex McFarland.

Best-selling author and apologist, Dylan Burrows. Together bringing you truth. For a new generation, this is TNG Radio. What is God's will for my life? As a believer, what is the plan of God for my life? Welcome to TNG Radio on today's edition of the show as we get closer and closer to Christmas.

I want to talk about two things. Number one, what does it mean about the coming of Christ's kingdom into the world? And then what is the personal takeaway for each and every believer?

What does this mean to me? We're going to look at a verse from Matthew 24 in just a moment, but we welcome you and we wish you a very, very Merry Christmas. We hope you're getting ready to commemorate the incarnation of our Lord, Christ coming into this world. Certainly the most important thing that ever happened in world history, the coming of God into time and space history to grow and live a sinless life, to take all of our sins to the cross, pay for our sins, rise from the dead. The birth of Christ really is the most beautiful part of the salvation story, really, I think.

And that's certainly why it's become such a beloved thing to millions of people around the world and throughout history that in the manger was born Jesus to be our Savior. And Dylan Burroughs is with me. He's so glad to have Dylan.

And let me ask this. What does the Burroughs family do for Christmas? What are some of you all's special traditions and memories? Well, we have several, but one of our favorites is we return back to my in-laws house in Indiana and they have what is called a piano Christmas party. It started off when my wife was a child and her siblings would get together each Christmas time before their family would do all of their piano recital music for the Christmas time. And as they've grown up, it's now become their children. And so we now have three generations of family who do Christmas music for all of the extended family and some of the neighbors just a couple of days before Christmas. It's become a special thing over 30 years running. And so it's not a big event in terms of the world's culture, but it is in our family. So it's a big part of what we do each Christmas.

Oh, that would be really special. Now, do you play the piano, Dylan? I do not. My wife does. I play a little guitar and sing, but all of my children have played piano to one degree or another.

So it's fun to see them and be part of their growth musically. Well, that would be really special. And folks listening on TNG radio, we're going to do not only this week, but next week, some info about Christmas. And I do want to remind people, I've got an article up on Todd Storns and Fox News this week. I wrote an article about some of the brouhaha related to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. And there were people saying that Rudolph promotes bullying and body shaming and things like that.

You know, Dylan, let me just boil it down. A lot of what is all about Christmas, it's Christ, isn't it? It's the idea that there is a God and that we are accountable to God, but that he loves us and that he sent his son into the world. And really, Christmas is a line in the sand.

I mean, if Jesus really was born, if Jesus really is the Son of God, fulfilling prophecy, born to be our Savior, and born among the nation of Israel in the Holy Land that belongs to the Jewish people. And if all of these realities are true, it really is kind of a black and white, true or false, right or wrong. It's a line in the sand about Christ's kingdom coming to conform this fallen world into God's will and God's purposes. It's pretty much the dividing line of history and the dividing line of every human heart and life, isn't it?

It really is, and we see that more in our culture. I know Franklin Graham just this week talked about that these Christmas wars that we see now are not just an attack on Christmas, but are an attack on Jesus Christ. It's interesting to me that it resounds very closely with what we see in John 1520, where Jesus said, So we should not be surprised that we face this kind of discrimination or war against Christmas in our culture, but it is one of those things that we face more and more as we live in a post-modern society, post-truth society, according to many.

And we see things banned like candy canes or nativity scenes and simple mementos of the season that can no longer be tolerated by people who don't cherish the faith that we share. Well, you know, I want to give a scripture from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament, then we're going to give some facts about the coming of Christ's kingdom and what it means for each of us personally. In Isaiah 9, verse 2, it says, Light in a dark place is a wonderful blessing.

It really is. In Matthew 24, 14, Jesus said, We often talk about the gospel, the good news, and the gospel means good news. I love the slogan of the Billy Graham ministry.

Their slogan is always good news, because they're always preaching the gospel, and that is always really great news to a searching, hungry heart. But notice in Matthew 24, 14, it says this gospel of the kingdom. And I want to relate this to a family that I've been counseling this week. It's a family that's a married couple that has come to Christ, you know, a little bit later in life than some people do. But kind of learning the ropes of what it means to grow as a Christian. And there's the question of what is God's will for my life? Now, a lot of people in the gospel see the wonderful love of Jesus Christ, and they see the responsibility to grow and to be a disciple and to be a part of a local church and to serve, as we all are to do. Some people, though, kind of fear that this is the case for a little bit of this particular family.

They see not responsibility and not privilege and obligation, but they see opportunity. You know, maybe I'll write a book and I'll become a speaker and I'll even become a healer or a prophet. And, you know, I want to caution people that when you come to Christ, it's not an opportunity to try to aggrandize your own name or aggrandize your plans and build some big platform for yourself. The gospel of the kingdom is all about the king and his kingdom and his purposes. And, Dylan, when people ask, you know, what is God's plan for my life, number one, the plan for each and every Christian is to be conformed to the image of the Son of God. The Bible says it is enough for the disciple to be like his master. So this Christmas, as we again revisit the manger and we think about Jesus as coming into the world and all that we have, all of the precious realities in the good news of salvation, understand that job one for the believer is to be conformed to the image of Christ.

Like Paul said, that not the flesh or the old nature being in control, but the new nature and the Spirit of God ever growing like Jesus so that we can live in obedience to Christ, point the world to Jesus. As we take a break, let me tell you about three tens, three books that will answer questions that come your way from others or even yourself about the Christian faith. Book number one, 10 answers for skeptics. Today's skeptics are looking for authenticity, integrity and straightforward faith. And in this book, you'll learn how to answer intimidating questions, identify the root issue behind those questions and dismantle the spiritual bombshells dropped by nonbelievers.

Those usually end up just being a puff of smoke. Number two, 10 answers for atheists, where Alex looks at the philosophical assumptions at the root of atheism and agnosticism, exposing logical, historical and conceptual fallacies. Alex shares clear explanations of beliefs and biblical answers to those questions that often leave you stumped, but no more. And number three, the 10 most common objections to Christianity and how to answer them. You know, many Christians hear these objections and have a crisis of faith, but Alex and Dylan have been around. They've visited many places and talked with many people through the years and can offer straight answers that will give you confidence and understanding about your beliefs. So the three tens once again, 10 answers for skeptics, 10 answers for atheists and the 10 most common objections to Christianity and how to answer them.

Find them wherever Christian books are sold or at Alex McFarland dot com. We care about justice and aren't afraid to ask hard questions. In fact, we care about a lot of things. We have passion for truth. We are Engage magazine dot net, an online group of millennials brought together by a common goal to share truth, apply scripture and to get involved in our lost and hurting world. Engage magazine dot net. Host discussions that help you apply a biblical worldview to your daily life.

Engage magazine dot net. Joy to the world, the Lord is come, let earth receive her King. Dylan Burrows back with Alex McFarland on Truth for a New Generation radio, and we're talking about the coming of Christ.

We're celebrating Christmas. And as we discussed today, we have three facts about the coming of Christ's kingdom and what it means for my personal walk with God, my salvation. And Alex was talking about this in the last segment.

And Alex, I want us to continue our discussion. What does it mean when we talk about the coming of the kingdom and what it means for us today? Well, you know, we don't often hear this talked about, but the coming of Jesus really is a monumental worldwide phenomenon, not just to save sinners from hell, although that's definitely a part of it, that Jesus came to give his life to be our Savior. But ultimately, this is about the coming of God's kingdom into this fallen world. I love in the book of Revelation where it talks about the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdom, singular, the kingdom of our God and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever. Point number one we want to bring out here is that the coming of the kingdom is worldwide.

There's no part of this world that will not one day be brought under the Lordship and the sovereign rule of the Lord Jesus Christ. And, you know, one of the common issues that we deal with in apologetics is the problem of pain and suffering. And people ask the question, if God is real and if God is powerful and if God is good, if God is omni benevolent, why is the world like it is? And there's sin and suffering and violence and crime. And we are in a period of history where God offers salvation. He doesn't force it, but God most certainly is in control.

Maybe here at this Christmas season you're under some burdens or you're carrying some things that are pretty heavy and sad in your life or the life of your family. But be assured, Christmas is proof positive that God is in control. And just as the babe came into the manger right on schedule, the kingdom of Christ is coming in and will fully be realized right on schedule. Now this does speak to what is our own role in all this and what is God's will for our lives. But let me say this, Dylan.

Gary Habermas, that is a good friend, and we've had him on the program even recently, I learned a lot when I was in graduate school for three years in his classes. He talks so much about the kingdom of Christ and the two things that signal the inflow of God's kingdom unavoidably, irrevocably, the kingdom of God coming into this world, the incarnation and the resurrection, the birth of Christ and the resurrection. I mean, Christ's miraculous entry into this world, Christ's equally miraculous exit from this world. It all signals the coming of the king and the coming of the kingdom. Amen. And it's exciting that we get to be part of this. If you're not familiar with the Great Commission, the end of Matthew 28, Jesus talks about how he has called us to go and make disciples of all nations. That is our responsibility and our privilege as believers today to be part of expanding this kingdom of God in our world. So it's not something that's just that God will do someday in the future. It's something we have a role into, and it makes it a personal thing that we get to be involved with. And that's our second point we want to talk about, this idea of the coming of the kingdom being personal.

We are excited when we see what God's doing around the world. But to be honest, many of us are thinking, what does this mean for me? How does this matter in my life today? And Alex, speak for a moment, if you would, to this issue of how the coming of God's kingdom is personal for each of our lives today. Well, I'm glad you asked that, because obviously the number one thing is that you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Maybe you've been to church, maybe you were confirmed at a young age, or you joined, or whatever. But the real question is, and this comes out of verses like Matthew 7, 21-24, do you have a personal relationship with Christ? And I want to ask everyone listening, if you can recall a time and a place where you consciously said, Lord, I am sorry for my sins. Lord, I do believe Jesus died on the cross for me, and I accept that as the payment for my sins. Most everybody, I think, they grasp that Jesus gave his life for the world. But friends, we want you to know Jesus gave his life for you.

I mean, he really did. He loves you so much, and had you been the only person that had ever lived, Jesus would have given his life to see you saved. The Bible says God is longsuffering, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Now here's where the personal involvement gets in. God offers salvation to all, but it says that all would come to repentance. And what you've got to do in terms of repentance is you've got to admit you're a sinner, and you've got to turn from sin to Christ.

And how do you do that? Well, you put your faith or your trust, your belief in Jesus. And I want to ask everyone listening, and there's no better time to think about this than here at Christmas and right now, and please do not procrastinate, but have you accepted who Christ is and what Christ did? Who is he? He is the Son of God, not just the babe and the manger, but the second member of the Trinity, God incarnate.

And what did he do? He died on the cross as our substitute. He was willing, and he was able. I mean, there may have been people that were self-styled messiahs who thought they could have done something to change humanity, but Christ was not only willing, he actually was able.

In fact, the only person in all of history able to do it. And so the personal coming of God's kingdom is that you have a relationship with this Savior. And I want to challenge each of you to believe. Believe not only that God loves you, but believe that God has great things for you. In Luke 12 32, Jesus said to the disciples, and I love this wording, Fear not, little flock, it is the Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Dylan, does it ever just kind of amaze you that God in his love would want to set up his kingdom in this world at great personal pain and expense, and then after bringing heaven into earth, give it to anyone that's willing to participate merely by believing in Christ? Fear not, little flock, it is the Father's good pleasure.

In other words, God says, Hey, I'm happy to do this. And if you'll believe in my Son, the riches of heaven, the joy of eternity, and the kingdom of God in this world is yours. So no matter who you are, no matter your background, God is calling you today to have a personal relationship with him.

You can be the person that God wants you to be when you rely on his strength, when you come to him on his terms, and you follow Jesus faithfully. And when we come back, we'll talk more about this, so stick with us here on Truth For A New Generation radio. Christians don't necessarily agree with one another when it comes to questions of religious pluralism, homosexuality, the role of government, abortion, and war. Too often we manage these disagreements by ignoring them. Yet we're called to engage the world for the sake of Christ.

How can we be effective if we avoid society's most pressing questions? In 10 issues that divide Christians, Alex McFarland challenges us to drill down to the biblical core of 10 current issues, such as social justice, evil and suffering, pornography, and environmentalism, as he echoes the biblical invitation, Come, let us reason together. Only by engaging the Scriptures deeply, thinking clearly, and speaking truthfully, can we and God's family address our differences and discover the peace that comes with unity of purpose. 10 issues that divide Christians. Find this book and many others at AlexMcFarland.com If you're a Christian parent, you of course want to instill a biblical view of life in the hearts of your children. If you're a pastor, you want to offer ministry that draws young families to your church. This is Alex McFarland encouraging you to check out my new book and video curriculum, The 21 Toughest Questions Your Kids Will Ask About Christianity. Why do bad things happen? I interviewed hundreds of children, ages 5 to 12, and we address actual questions from actual children, the spiritual issues that are on the minds of your kids.

Did Jesus ever sin? The book and video lessons are great for groups of any size, and was produced with the goal of equipping kids to stand strong for Christ in any situation. The 21 Toughest Questions Your Kids Will Ask, the book, study guide, and video series. You'll find it at afastore.net. That's afastore.net. I heard a saying that I like. It said, The best yuletide decoration is to be all wreathed in smiles. Welcome back to T&G Radio. Alex McFarland, Dylan Burrows here, and it's getting near Christmas, and we love Christmas. We are so glad you're listening to the program. We appreciate your time. I want to resume the conversation about the facts regarding the coming of Christ's kingdom into the world. I do want to remind everyone listening about the exciting things God is doing through truth for a new generation. We had several major conferences this year, and we're working on five major citywide events for 2019. No doubt there will be dozens of speaking opportunities and ministry going on, but Salt Lake City, Utah, and Richmond, Virginia, and Columbus, Ohio, Fayetteville, North Carolina. We're going to be doing something in May in Fayetteville for military families. And then also a big debate in Louisville, Kentucky with John Lennox, a very, very famous Christian leader, John Lennox, and several other pretty huge things that we're pulling together for that.

And so we praise God for all that's being done. What a joy to be working with incredible leaders like Josh McDowell and different people that have come alongside this ministry, the American Family Association, Family Research Council, Tony Perkins, Liberty University. We're so grateful for Liberty University. And I do want to remind everybody that as you begin the new year, and you might want to think about starting a degree or finishing a college degree, Liberty University, I'm a twice-graduated alum of Liberty University. And I know, Dylan, you've been adjunct faculty for them, and so have I.

Their website, Liberty University, is Liberty.edu. And I want to encourage you to check out their website and thank them for supporting our Truth for a New Generation Tour. But let me ask you as well, friends, would you please help us do what God has called us to do in terms of preaching the gospel to America, specifically reaching young people. We're working with the National Day of Prayer and some interfacing, networking with so many organizations, and we need your help. And your gift, large or small, will enable us to do what we've been doing, reaching thousands of people, several thousand a year, that make a salvation decision. So please, would you make a year-end gift, the best, most significant investment you could in this ministry. And you can write to us at Truth for a New Generation. You can write on a check, just TNG, as in Truth for a New Generation. We send it to P.O.

Box 10231, Greensboro, North Carolina, 27404. And it is tax-deductible, it will be faithfully handled, gratefully received, and we appreciate you being a partner in the harvest of winning people to Christ. Now, Dylan, before the break, we were talking about the Kingdom of God being personal. And let me say this. One of the questions we get quite a bit is, what is God's will for my life?

There was a book several years ago by a man named Gary Friesen. I think it's a really good book, and it's called Decision Making and the Will of God. And people ask the question, you know, should I pick up and move to California?

Or should I do this or that? And understand the number one fundamental will, step one for every believer, is to be conformed to the image of Christ. And God doesn't get things out of order. Number one is your walk with Christ. Number two is your spouse and your family. Number three, you are to be a part of a local church.

That's Hebrews 10.25. And serving in some capacity and being under the preaching of the word, discipleship, the mutual encouragement of believers, the local church. And then there is your own ministry, your gifts and abilities, and things that you might do for the gospel. And then there is your vocation.

Way down the list are things like in-laws and other things. Now, Dylan, I've found people that get frustrated, and maybe they wonder why is God's blessing and the peace and the favor and all the things that we hear about in the gospel, why are they not operative in my life? And sometimes, and I want you to evaluate this, friends, it might be because you've got the hierarchy of God's plans out of order. And again, being conformed to the image, your walk, your spouse, your family, your local church, your spiritual gifts being used for the Great Commission, your vocation, then in-laws, friends, hobbies, way down the list, and men within your home and in your marriage. You are to be the priest of the family. You are to be the spiritual leader. And oftentimes families get a little bit sideways because one or more of the participants is not fulfilling the role that God ordained them to do. So let me challenge you as we wrap up this year and as we embark on a new year to put your life in order in terms of God's Word and God's plan and God's structure and watch the blessing and favor of God come along as you do.

And that's such a good word. And as we start the new year, a couple of ways you can do this is by focusing on God's Word. Many people will do the Bible in a year program where you read three chapters a day for a whole year to finish the Bible. You could even do just the New Testament with five minutes a day reading the New Testament in a year.

You can also listen to it online or on an app or through CD as well and find a way that works for you to focus on God's Word on a regular basis so that it can transform you as Romans 12.1 talks about you by the renewing of your mind and you can live for God as He's called us to do. In our final moments together, though, Alex, I want us to talk a little bit about this last point that you mentioned, this idea that the coming of the kingdom is inevitable. What does it mean that the kingdom is inevitable? Well, you know, I think about Matthew chapter 11 where Jesus said the kingdom has suffered violence and the violent take it by force. Now, we've talked about that passage a lot.

In no way is it a call to be abrasive or aggressive or violent in the sense of physical altercation with anybody. But it does mean that God's kingdom has been opposed by the forces of darkness. Matthew 16 and 18 talks about that.

But the gates of hell would not prevail against it. The kingdom of God is coming in inevitably. Galatians 4 says that in the fullness of time, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, to redeem those that were under the law. At just the right time, Jesus was born into this world, ushering in God's kingdom. And I want to encourage everybody, this Christmas season and always, let the world see in your words, your actions, the way you act, the way you react, let the world see that your life and your heart and your soul, everything about you, has been annexed into the realm of King Jesus.

Somebody wrote this. What is the Christmas spirit? In the home, it is kindness. In the business, it is honesty. In society, it is courtesy.

In work, it is fairness. Toward the unfortunate, it is mercy. And Jesus and the Spirit of God can help us show the world that we have got the Christmas spirit.

Why? Because we've got Christ the Savior. Truth for a New Generation, in association with Alex McFarland Evangelistic Ministries, exists to equip Christians with a biblical worldview through conferences and camps. For information about upcoming events, visit truthforanewgeneration.com, or give us a call at 877-YES-GOD-1. That's 877-YES-GOD and the number 1. TNG radio is made possible by the friends of Alex McFarland Evangelistic Ministries, P.O. Box 10231, Greensboro, North Carolina, 27404. That's P.O. Box 10231, Greensboro, North Carolina, 27404. Or give online at alexmcfarland.com or truthforanewgeneration.com. Thanks for listening, and join us again next time as we bring you more truth for a new generation on TNG radio.