“The Kingdom of God” - Part 2
The Kingdom of God • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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We began las week with a DEFINITION, answering the question: What is the Kingdom of God?
The definition from two primary passages (1 Chronicles 29:11-12; Psalm 72) is, “The KINGDOM of God is the RULE and REIGN of God over all HIS CREATION!”
While the picture painted by Solomon in (Psalm 72) promises an amazing Kingdom, that is not all the Psalms have to say about the Kingdom!
There are six enthronement Psalms: (45; 93; 96; 97; 98; 99) (Read
Sing a new song to the Lord; let the whole earth sing to the Lord.
Sing to the Lord, bless his name; proclaim his salvation from day to day.
Declare his glory among the nations, his wondrous works among all peoples.
For the Lord is great and is highly praised; he is feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
Ascribe to the Lord, you families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name; bring an offering and enter his courts.
Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness; let the whole earth tremble before him.
Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns. The world is firmly established; it cannot be shaken. He judges the peoples fairly.”
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice; let the sea and all that fills it resound.
Let the fields and everything in them celebrate. Then all the trees of the forest will shout for joy
before the Lord, for he is coming— for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with his faithfulness.
Q: What do we learn from all these passages about the Kingdom of God?
It involves a PLACE (kingdom)
Though at the present time it is “…not of this world […] is not from here” (John 18:36), it will eventually include “…a new heaven and a new earth” (Revelation 21:1)
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
I also saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.
Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God.
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.
Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new.” He also said, “Write, because these words are faithful and true.”
Which CONFIRMS what three of the enthronement Psalms declare:
before the Lord, for he is coming— for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with his faithfulness.
Let the rivers clap their hands; let the mountains shout together for joy
before the Lord, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world righteously and the peoples fairly.
Exalt the Lord our God; bow in worship at his holy mountain, for the Lord our God is holy.
And in the first two of those, His “coming”to the earth involves JUDGMENT!
In all three Synoptic Gospels Jesus tells the Sanhedrin, “…you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven!”
(Matt 26:64; Mark 14:62; Luke 22:69)
The PLACE of the Kingdom of God will ultimately include Heaven AND earth!
It involves a PEOPLE (subjects/citizens)!
Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.
And they sang a new song: You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slaughtered, and you purchased people for God by your blood from every tribe and language and people and nation.
You made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign on the earth.
And of necessity, there is a KING (both God the Father and God the Son) who RULES!
(Psalm 22:28) – “for kingship belongs to the Lord; he rules the nations.”
Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse. Its rider is called Faithful and True, and with justice he judges and makes war.
His eyes were like a fiery flame, and many crowns were on his head. He had a name written that no one knows except himself.
He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God.
The armies that were in heaven followed him on white horses, wearing pure white linen.
A sharp sword came from his mouth, so that he might strike the nations with it. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will also trample the winepress of the fierce anger of God, the Almighty.
And he has a name written on his robe and on his thigh: King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Perhaps one of the best Psalms that incorporate all that we’ve been looking at is (Psalm 145)
(v.1) – “I exalt you, my God the King, and bless your name forever and ever.”
(v.5) – “I will speak of your splendor and glorious majesty and your wondrous works.”
(vv.11–13) – “They will speak of the glory of your kingdom and will declare your might, informing all people of your mighty acts and of the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; your rule is for all generations. The Lord is faithful in all his words and gracious in all his actions.”
Q: How can we be certain this is what JESUS meant by the “Kingdom” (a place, a people, and a King)?
A: Look at the question posed by those early disciples that Jesus taught about the Kingdom!
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?”
(Acts 1:6) – “…Lord, are you [KING] restoring the kingdom to Israel [both a PEOPLE, and a PLACE] at this time?”
Their QUESTION (v.6) was in response to Jesus – (Acts 1:3) PROVING that He was alive “…over a period of forty days” and His continued “…speaking about the kingdom of God.”
While he was with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “Which,” he said, “you have heard me speak about;
for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.”
(Acts 1:4-5)– The QUESTION was also in RESPONSE to Jesus telling them to “…wait for the Father’s promise” […] to them being “…baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.”
These guys were so EXCITED! The EVIDENCE of Jesus’ resurrection, the continued TEACHING on the kingdom, and the PROMISE of the baptism of the Holy Spirit could only mean ONE THING – (1:6)!
THIS IS IT!
No doubt they thought back to the prayer Jesus taught them to pray, which contained the word, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”
But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
HOWEVER, Jesus’ ANSWER in, (Acts 1:7) – “He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority.’”
He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority.
The one thing we CANNOT include in our definition is “times or periods”(both plural). Anyone who claims to know, doesn’t. We can only know that it is coming!
Q: How do we be certain it will come if we’re not told when?
A: We are given the same things that the early Church received. Evidence of Jesus’ resurrection, and the gift of the Holy Spirit!
SO, with that in mind, our expanding DEFINITION is, “The Kingdom of God is the RULE and REIGN of God over His creation. This WILL involve a KING (Jesus), a PEOPLE (subjects/citizens), and a PLACE (Israel).”
NOW before we conclude today’s message, there is MINOR QUESTION regarding the definition of the Kingdom is, “Is there a difference between the Kingdom of HEAVEN and the Kingdom of GOD?”
A: NO!
While some believe that the Kingdom of God and Kingdom of Heaven are referring to different things, a careful study of the usage will show both phrases refer to the same thing.
The phrase “kingdom of God”occurs 68 times in ten different NT books, while “kingdom of heaven” occurs only 32 times, and only in the Gospel of Matthew.
Based on Matthew’s exclusive use of the phrase and the Jewish nature of his Gospel, some interpreters have concluded that Matthew was writing concerning the millennial kingdom while the other NT authors were referring to the universal kingdom.
However, a closer study of the use of the usage of the phrases reveals this interpretation is in error.
FOR EXAMPLE, following His conversation with the rich young ruler, Jesus uses “kingdom of heaven” and “kingdom of God” interchangeably –
Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
Jesus makes no distinction between the two terms but seems to consider them synonymous.
Mark and Luke used “kingdom of God”where Matthew used “kingdom of heaven” frequently in parallel accounts of the same parable.
Compare the following: (Matthew 4:17 with Mark 1:14-15; Luke 4:43; John 3:3); (Matthew 11:11-12 with Luke 7:28); (Matthew 13:11 with Mark 4:11 and Luke 8:10); (Matthew 13:24, 30 with Mark 4:26, 30-31 and Luke 13:18-19). And I could list EVEN MORE!
In each instance, Matthew used the phrase “kingdom of heaven” while Mark, Luke, and John used “kingdom of God.”
Matthew uses BOTH—once in the same message! – (Matthew 5:19; 6:33) (cf. 12:28; 21:43)
Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.
Clearly, the two phrases refer to the same thing.
CONCLUSION to Part 2!
How many of you are still bugged that Jesus wouldn’t tell us the “times or periods” when the Kingdom would come?
I mean, wouldn’t it be better if we knew? Why didn’t Jesus tell us?
A: Because we are allSINNERS!
WHAT DID JESUS TELL US? He didn’t give us a TIME, but He did give us a TASK – (Acts 1:8)!
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
He also gave us the SAME MESSAGE that He preached! –
After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God:
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
Finally, we are also given a NEW SONG –
Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels around the throne, and also of the living creatures and of the elders. Their number was countless thousands, plus thousands of thousands.
They said with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing!
I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them say, Blessing and honor and glory and power be to the one seated on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!
The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
