Icon Key
📝 = Fill in the Blank
This message this morning may be one of the most important messages yet. This morning’s message is everything. This morning we’re going to talk about THE KINGDOM OF GOD
When one speaks of THE KINGDOM OF GOD, they’re speaking of an actual place ruled by God All Mighty, with His power, His influence, His sovereignty, His values, and His principles.
God’s original intention was to establish and extend His Heavenly Kingdom on earth from Heaven to be ruled first by Adam. This is why Genesis 1:26 says,
“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; LET THEM HAVE dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.””
Genesis 1:26
The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD’s; But the earth HE HAS GIVEN to the children of men. Psalm 119:16
When Adam fell, it wasn’t just the fall of mankind, it was the lost of a Kingdom. When Adam sinned, he didn’t lose a religion, he lost dominion over the earth.
Adam LOST the KINGDOM, but Jesus Christ came to RESTORE it.
Last week we learned that Jesus was in the wilderness for 40 days, and it was there where He was tempted by the devil. After that time of temptation came to an end. Out of all messages that Jesus could’ve preached, guess what the first message was that Jesus declared after coming out of the wilderness. Matthew 4:17 tells us, it says,
“From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN is at hand.””
Matthew 4:17
This wasn’t just any ol preaching, this was an announcement. This was a declaration that everything that the 1st Adam LOST, I’m here to RESTORE. Everything that the first Adam DID, I’m here to UNDO. The Kingdom that Adam once lost is now here at hand. In Jesus’s inaugural message found in Luke 4:18 He says,
““The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.””
Luke 4:18-19
Jesus displayed this Kingdom presence and power in Mark 1:21 where it reads,
“Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught. And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.”
Mark 1:21-22
“Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!””
Mark 1:23-24
“But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.”
Mark 1:25-26
“Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? WHAT NEW DOCTRINE IS THIS? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.””
Mark 1:27
I’ll tell you what new doctrine this is…this is the doctrine of THE KINGDOM OF GOD!!! It’s no wonder that when Jesus prayed the first thing that He requested was the Kingdom of God. Matthew 6:9-10
“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. THY KINGDOM COME. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”
Matthew 6:9-10
Out of all things that Jesus told us to seek, guess what He told us to seek above all else…THE KINGDOM OF GOD! Matthew 6:33 says…
“But SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Matthew 6:33
After watching Jesus for a while, now it as there turn. Luke 10:1 says,
“After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
Luke 10:1-2
“And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’”
Luke 10:9
Everyone around you has already experienced the Kingdom of darkness. They’ve already experienced pain. They’ve already experienced heartbreak. It’s time to tell them about the Kingdom of God. A place where they can truly be saved. A place where they can truly be safe. A place where they can belong. A place where they can find peace in the storm. A place where they can be loved not because of what they do, but because of who they are. Tell them the good news of Luke 12:32 where it says,
““Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you THE KINGDOM.”
Luke 12:32
I noticed something in Matthew 4:17 that I want to go back to. It says,
“From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “REPENT, for THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN is at hand.””
Matthew 4:17
When Jesus said the word repent in this context, He wasn’t just talking about confessing your sins to God. Jesus was commanding us to change the way that we think, and to take on a new mindset, WHY? Because the Kingdom of God is back. The Kingdom of heaven is here now. I know you’ve been operating according to the ways of this world, but I say to you, change the way that you think. Paul said it like this in Romans 12:2,
"And do not be conformed to this world, but BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
Romans 12:2
In order to live out God’s Kingdom on this earth, you must…
📝 RENEW YOUR MIND.
📝 RENEW YOUR SPEECH.
📝 RENEW YOUR ACTIONS.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; OLD THINGS HAVE PASSED AWAY; behold, all things have become new.”
II Corinthians 5:17
Your old mind, your old speech, your old actions must pass away. They won’t work in the Kingdom of God.
📝 "In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to GIVE than to RECEIVE.’ ””Acts 20:35
That’s The Kingdom Way.
📝 “Let your CONVERSATION be always FULL OF GRACE, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”
Colossians 4:6
That’s The Kingdom Way.
Even though Jesus was King, who came to restore the Kingdom, he didn’t act or look like your typical king. He wasn’t arrogant. He wasn’t mean. He wasn’t distant. He wasn’t unapproachable. When it came time to do business against the kingdom of darkness that was one thing. Jesus didn’t mess around with that as we just witnessed in the gospel of Mark. But when it came to how Jesus treated people, versus how other kings treated people, Jesus wasn’t your typical King. This is why Jesus is called the Lion and the Lamb. To the kingdom of darkness, they saw Him as a lion. To mankind, they saw Him as a lamb. This is why Pilate had such a hard time recognizing him as King. Jesus set the record straight for Pilate in John 18:36. It reads,
Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.” John 18:36
“Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.””
John 18:37
What King would say these words found in Mark 10:45,
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Mark 10:45
What King would be found doing what Jesus did in John 13:3…
“Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself.”
John 13:3-4
“After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You washing my feet?””
John 13:5-6
“Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.””
John 13:7
Later on you’ll truly understand what it means to operate in the Kingdom of God. It’s not just about power, and authority. By all means exercise that against the Kingdom of darkness. But when it comes to mankind…serve another.This is what I like to call…
THE KINGDOM WAY
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; AS I HAVE LOVED YOU, that you also love one another.”
John 13:34
It wasn’t so much a new commandment as it was a new demonstration.
But God DEMONSTRATES his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
“And AS YOU GO, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”
Matthew 10:7
Go show them something different. Go show them the Kingdom of God. And since according to 1 John 4:8….
…God IS love. 1 John 4:8
Then that means that…
📝 The Kingdom of GOD, is a Kingdom of LOVE.
John 13:35 makes perfect sense now. It reads,
"BY THIS ALL WILL KNOW that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.””
John 13:35
📝 LOVE IS OUR PASSPORT.
📝 LOVE gets us into the HEARTS of mankind in ways that HATE never will.
Matthew 25:31-40 speaks of The true Kingdom Way.
““When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.”
Matthew 25:31-33
“Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, INHERIT THE KINGDOM prepared for you from the foundation of the world:”
Matthew 25:34
“for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’”
Matthew 25:35-36
““Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’”
Matthew 25:37-39
“And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’”
Matthew 25:40
We’re called to focus on the least of these, because at one time we were the least of these. Romans 5:6 says
For at just the right time, while we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Romans 5:6
““Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:”
Matthew 25:41
“for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’”
Matthew 25:42-43
““Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’”
Matthew 25:44
“Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’”
Matthew 25:45
“And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.””
Matthew 25:46
I say to you today…DON’T MISS THE KINGDOM WAY.
I believe the question in Isaiah 6:8 is still ringing out today…
“Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And WHO WIL GO FOR US?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.””
Isaiah 6:8
Who will go for us to serve and not to be served?
Who will go for us that will prefer others above themselves?
Philippians 2:3 says,
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility VALUE OTHERS ABOVE YOURSELVES,”
Philippians 2:3
“Be devoted to one another in love. HONOR ONE ANOTHER ABOVE YOURSELVES.”
Romans 12:10
Who will go for us to GIVE the type of grace that they’ve RECEIVED?
“And AS YOU GO, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”
Matthew 10:7
WHAT’S STOPPING YOU FROM GOING?
Commenti