The Last Kingdom – Week 1

Every kingdom rises. Every kingdom falls.

History proves it. Empires, movements, systems, ideologies—no matter how powerful they seem—eventually collapse. Rome looked untouchable. With the strength of its military, the reach of its roads, and the force of Pax Romana, it believed it had secured peace and permanence.

And yet, while Rome was writing its version of history, God was quietly entering it.

In Gospel of Luke 2, Caesar Augustus issues a decree, measuring power through census and control. But heaven measures differently. God enters the world not with an army—but as a child. Not in a palace—but in a manger.

Thirty years later, Jesus steps forward with His first public words recorded in Gospel of Mark 1:15:

“The time has come. The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news.”

That wasn’t advice.
That wasn’t religion.
That was an announcement.

Jesus wasn’t starting a spiritual self-help movement.
He was declaring that God’s kingdom had arrived.

And if a new kingdom has come, allegiance must shift.

Repentance doesn’t mean “try harder” or “feel worse.” It means change allegiance. It means surrender self-rule and trust a different King.

Because here’s the truth:
You are already living in a kingdom.

Something is shaping your decisions.
Something is promising you peace.
Something is asking for your loyalty.

Career. Money. Image. Politics. Control. Self.

They all rise.
They all promise stability.
They all eventually fail.

But there is one kingdom that does not fall.

Rome faded. Pax Romana ended. Empires became ruins.
But the kingdom Jesus announced is still advancing—quietly, globally, personally.

This week begins our new series, The Last Kingdom, where we wrestle with one central question:

If Jesus really is King… what does that mean for my life?

Because the question isn’t whether you’re living in a kingdom.

The question is which one.