Sabbath, February 18, 2011 - "The Kingdom of God  part 1

1.      1Co 2:14  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

·        This very word “The Kingdom” is mentioned 158 times in the New Testament in 150 verses.  The Hebrew word used here for kingdom is Malkuth, and the Greek equivalent is basileia.

H4438

v  מלכיּה    מלכת    מלכוּת

malkûth  malkûth  malkûyâh

mal-kooth', mal-kooth', mal-koo-yaw'

From H4427; a rule; concretely a dominion: - empire, kingdom, realm, reign, royal.

·        In both languages we see a meaning of a rule, & reign.  We will also notice it refers to the employment of God’s sovereignty, dominion, and power. 

       G932

v  βασιλεία

basileia

bas-il-i'-ah

From G935; properly royalty, that is, (abstractly) rule, or (concretely) a realm (literally or figuratively): - kingdom, + reign.

·         Old Testament

2.     Psa 145:11  They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power;

3.     Psa 22:28  For the kingdom is the LORD'S: and he is the governor among the nations.

4.     Psa 103:19  The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.

·         The LORD”S kingdom has a theme & pattern with His power and rule.

·         New Testament

5.     1Co 4:20  For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.

6.     Mat 6:9  After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Mat 6:10  Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. (Remember Psa 103:19)

·         So we are to pray for His Will to be done on earth, as it is in heaven.  His Will = Thy Kingdom come.

·         The will of God manifested in His Son Jesus Christ that brought redemption to the sinful fallen world, and that is was Jesus’ very character, and Love that He expressed to all, even His enemies was to be the example of the Kingdom of God.

·         What was God’s Will for us sinners?

7.      Joh 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

8.       1Jn 4:8  He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

                                            A call to His Kingdom

·           Now the very first time the word “The kingdom” is mention in the New Testament it is in the book of Matt in chapter 3:2

9.       Mat 3:1  In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,

Mat 3:2  And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Mat 3:3  For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

·         This was the very first sermon and opening statement in the New Testament, which was given by John the Baptist when he said… “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 

·         As John was filled with the Holy Ghost he began to proclaim to all by his manner of teaching “prepare to meet thy God”  

10.   Amo 4:12  Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.

·         We are to come in that very same power as did John, but self must be denied to go in that very same manner. By walking in His Spirit we can and will go boldly and teach others to “prepare to meet thy God”. 

So we see John declaring “the Kingdom of heaven is at hand”.  Soon John’s work would be done in preaching the kingdom, and he would make way for one greater than him, and as John decreased Jesus began to increase. 

                     Jesus proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom

11.   Mar 1:14  Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the     gospel of the kingdom of God,  15  And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

12.  Mat 4:23  And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.  (see also Matt 9:35) 

13.  Luk 12:31  But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.           

                 32  Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the

                kingdom.                                                                                                                                   

·         Jesus says to seek the kingdom first, as your treasures will be stored there.  Some would have you to believe to await a coming kingdom.  In doing so, you will never prepare your heart. 

14. Luk 4:43  And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.

15.  Luk 8:1  And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him,

16. Mat 24:14  And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

·         This good news (gospel) of the Kingdom that Jesus went about teaching in Galilee, and preaching in their synagogues was the spiritual kingdom of His love, His grace, and His righteousness.  That good news was the arrival of the Messiah.

              “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand”

17.    Mar 1:15  And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

·         This time was based on the prophecies, and the prophecy of the seventy weeks of Daniel.

18.   Dan 9:24  Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.  

·         Who was anointed?  Who was the Most Holy?  This prophecy was fulfilled by no one other than Jesus Christ. 

·         In AD 27 is when Jesus was baptized, and received the anointing of The Holy Spirit.

·         Thus the proclaimed message of “The time is fulfilled” was declared by Jesus Christ Himself. 

19.   Luk 19:44  And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.

·         Because of being so engrossed in the earthly world the offer Jesus gave them of the Spiritual kingdom was barren, and fruitless.  In just the same manner in succeeding generations many have rejected the light and Will that our Saviour has given. 

20.                     Mat 5:2  And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, 3  Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

·         The suffering we go through for His name sake, is something we can exchange for his tender loving grace.  We just need to come to the feet of Jesus.  The cross is where we make that exchange.  The spiritual kingdom of God is ours to accept.  Our loving Father gives us a choice.  Sinners must be willing to receive His grace before he/she can be suited for the kingdom of glory.  

21.   Mat 26:39  And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

22. Mat 26:42  He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup    may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.

23. Luk 17:20  And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:

Luk 17:21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of

God is within you.

Luk 17:22  And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to

 see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.

·         The kingdom of God does not come with a superficial display or exhibit, but it is through the life changing and internal working of The Holy Spirit in one’s life.  God’s will, will be supplanted in your very heart.  He replaces your old desire to His Will. 

·         His kingdom begins at your acceptance of Him into your hearts. Jesus said the kingdom of God was within you.  Right in your very heart! 

·         Jesus said that the kingdom cometh not with observation.

·         It is not an outward exhibit or show, but its right in our very hearts. 

The Kingdom of God is Spiritual, and not Physical

24. Mar 12:28  And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?

       Mar 12:29  And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O   Israel;   The Lord our God is one Lord:

       Mar 12:30  And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy  soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

       Mar 12:31  And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as  thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

  Mar 12:32  And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for    there is one God; and there is none other but he:

  Mar 12:33  And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.

  Mar 12:34  And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.

·         In the scribes reply Jesus told him “Thou art not far from the kingdom of God.”  Jesus implies to the scribe that the kingdom would be of a spiritual nature, and not of a temporal/secular or physical one.  The scribe’s comprehension of what Love can do brings him in closeness to the government of His Kingdom.

·          His Word declares to us that “for God is Love.” (1Jn 4:8)

·         Love is the Character of God, the character of His Son, and the character of His kingdom.

·         “the kingdom of God is within you.” 

·         The power of God in you is the presence of our Saviour working in our life by His Spirit. 

25.   Luk 11:20  But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. 

·         Allow the presence of His Divine Spirit to mold you into a new man, and walk in the newness of Christ.

26.  Joh 18:36  Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.

·         What did Jesus mean in saying this? Jesus is saying His kingdom is not from here where you people, have hatred, and strife.  You use swords and murder. “IF” my people were from here (the earthly world) they would act as such as you earthly worldly people … and they (if they were worldly) would fight to deliver me from the Jews, but my people are not from here (worldly).  The people of my kingdom are of the Spirit.  Loving, kind, joyful, gentle, meek, longsuffering, and peaceful!     

27.   Gal 5:16  This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

17  For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

18  But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

19  Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

20  Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

21  Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

24  And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

25  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

·         The very character of Christ is produced by the Spirit of Christ dwelling within each of us!  Die to self.

28.  Isa 7:14  Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

29.  Mat 1:23  Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

v  "His name shall be called Immanuel, . . . God with us."  Continuing in our very own hearts!