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Kingdom of God |
Jesus Christ came, not only preaching the Kingdom of God, but also
the Good News of the Kingdom of God. What makes God’s Kingdom on
earth, Good News? It is the fact that the Kingdom holds the answers
to all the problems of the world. “After John [the Baptist] was put
in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel [good news]
of the Kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the
Kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel [good
news].” (Mark 1:14-15)
We see in these words, repent ye, and believe the good news, that
the Kingdom is for the righteous, and that Jesus intends for people
to turn their lives around and look forward in earnest expectation
to the real, literal Kingdom of God. Everyone will not inherit the
Kingdom of God, which is also referred to as the Kingdom of Heaven,
and the Kingdom of Christ. “This ye know, that no whoremonger, nor
unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any
inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God.” (Ephesians 5:5,
Galatians 5:21)
Notice what Jesus will say to those who will not repent: “I tell
you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of
iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye
shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in
the Kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.” (Luke 13:27-28)
“The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather
out of His Kingdom all things that offend, and them which do
iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire.” (Matthew
13:41-2)
How great and magnificent must the Kingdom of God be to us if we are
to inherit it? Jesus Christ said that it is more important to seek
after the Kingdom of God and His righteousness than anything we
humanly need, including life itself: “Therefore I say unto you, Take
no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink;
nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more
than meat, and the body than raiment? But seek ye first the Kingdom
of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added
unto you.” (Matthew 6:25,33)
At this time, the Kingdom of God is not available to everyone.
Amazingly, it is being offered to an incredibly small percentage of
the earth’s population. When Jesus spoke of the Kingdom, He made
sure that only the “called out ones of the Father” understood what
He was revealing (John 6:44, 65). We are greatly privileged to know
the truth of the Kingdom of God at this time because the knowledge
of it is closed to most people. Jesus said unto His disciples and to
us, “Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the Kingdom of God:
but unto them that are without, all these things are done in
parables.” (Mark 4:11)
There is a tremendous “cost” levied on us who know about the
Kingdom. In order to be able to obtain the Kingdom of God, we must
be willing to give up absolutely everything! Jesus likened the
Kingdom of heaven, to a treasure, or a pearl of great price. He said
let nothing stand between us and that cherished prize. “The Kingdom
of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man
hath found, he hides, and for joy thereof goeth and sells all that
he has, and buys that field… Who, when he had found one pearl of
great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.” (Matthew
13:44, 46)
Those who are going through this baptismal Bible study series are
being exposed to the word of the Kingdom of God. That does not make
us, one iota, better than those who have not been called – they will
receive their calling later. However, our calling at this time
obligates us to produce much spiritual fruit. Jesus said, “When any
one heareth the word of the Kingdom…” a great deal of spiritual
growth is expected: “He that received seed into the good ground is
he that heareth the word [of the Kingdom], and understands it; which
also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some
sixty, some thirty.” (Matthew 13:19, 23)
When the soon coming Kingdom of God is established over all the
earth forever, who shall rule over it? The answer is: Jesus will
both, establish and rule His Father’s Kingdom over all the earth
according to the law of God. The prophet, Daniel, wrote that a
literal Kingdom of God would be established over all the earth and
endure forever. “Behold, one like the Son of man [Jesus Christ] came
with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days [God the
Father], and they brought Him [Jesus] near before Him [the Father].
And there was given Him [Jesus Christ the Messiah] dominion, and
glory, and a Kingdom [of God], that all peoples, nations, and
languages, should serve Him: His dominion is an everlasting
dominion, which shall not pass away, and His Kingdom that which
shall not be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:13-14)
What will become of all the other nations, empires, governments,
kings, and kingdoms of this earth when Jesus returns to establish
the Kingdom of God? “In the days of these kings shall the God of
heaven set up a Kingdom, [of God] which shall never be destroyed:
and the Kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall
break in pieces and consume all these [earthly] kingdoms, and it
shall stand for ever.” (Daniel 2:44) “When the Son of man shall come
in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit
upon the throne of his glory: And before Him [Christ] shall be
gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another,
as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.” (Matthew 25:31-32)
Will the Kingdom of God usher in a time of unparallel peace and
prosperity over all the earth (Isaiah 11:1-10)? “It shall come to
pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall
be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted
above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people
shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the
Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His
ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth
the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall judge
among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat
their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks:
nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they
learn war any more.” (Isaiah 2:2-4)
Christians live according to the rules and laws of the Kingdom of
God at this time – even before it is set up over all the earth
(Colossians 1:13). The Kingdom over this earth will not be
established until the resurrection of the saints and the return of
Jesus Christ in great power (John 3:3, 6). The saints will reign and
rule as kings and priests with Christ for a thousand years as spirit
beings – born into the Family of God (Revelation 5:10). “Flesh and
blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God.” (1Corinthians 15:50)
“Then
shall the King [Christ] say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye
blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world.” (Matthew 25:34)
Peter calls the Kingdom of God, “The Everlasting Kingdom of our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:11). We will conclude this
brief look at God’s Kingdom with these few words from King David’s
Psalm of Praise: “All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord; and thy
saints shall bless thee. They shall speak of the glory of Thy
Kingdom, and talk of thy power; to make known to the sons of men his
mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of His Kingdom. Thy Kingdom is
an Everlasting Kingdom, and thy dominion endures throughout all
generations.” (Psalms 145:10-13)
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Sermon: |
"Kingdom of God" |
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