The Kingdom of God Distinguished

Hey, man, good job guys. That was good behavior tonight. We've been talkin about the the church. We been talkin about the kingdom of God and it's often often times also referred to as the kingdom of heaven and presented and then Jesus Christ also picked up from John's Ministry that is there in tonight. What we want to do is we want to look and see we have looked and saw how the church is a local assembly of baptized Believers called out for a purpose with a design with a a reason that we are coveted together for a reason. We're not just here to meet to have fun and all of that. We have a purpose. We have a reason for being here tonight and the kingdom of God is a little bit broader the kingdom of God is a little bit the kingdom of God is a spiritual. Where the church can be seen we talked this morning about the physical and the spiritual and and the church can be seen we can be touched we can be smelt we can all of the sensors of them can be involved into the church because it is a Earthly institution. It is here up on the earth that and really what we kind of started all of these studies and everything is this idea of this Universal Church idea or concept that is out there at and it is for Cle developed. When the Church of God as defined in the New Testament was acquainted with the kingdom of God. And so but what they did was they begin to merge the church and the kingdom and so when you would have passages that talked about the kingdom they would look at these is just be in the local church that we are all a part of it. So when you do that it begins to cause lots of problems and lots of issues. And basically we look at you were just differentiating between two words the Church and Kingdom in the church is ekklesia and the Greek word for kingdom is boswellia, and there is a difference and it does make a difference between these two words. And so tonight. Hopefully what we have. We will do is since we have already scripturally Define the kingdom of God tonight. What we are going to do is look at its relationship with the church and how does how do we distinguish between the two and how does it work work with that? And I want to begin by defining the word kingdom kingdom is the power or authority of a key a real more a domain over which this exists when we would do a systematic study of scripture teaches a few things about the kingdom of God, and we're going to look at these tonight. First thing that we know that the word of God teaches is that the kingdom of God in the church are not the same they are not the same exact thing. They are vitally related and their vodly connected but yet they are two different things that are involved hear a new testament church is a visible audible manifestation of the invisible inaudible intangible Kingdom. And so basically where we cannot see the spiritual Kingdom week if we should be able to get a glimpse of an understanding of the spiritual Kingdom based upon the church. And so the the physical manifestation here Matthew chapter 16 verse 19 is a passage of scripture that really helps us to distinguish between these two because if you remember Jesus Christ here is talking to Peter and Peter William the decide Posed to be in love the part of them first few that Jesus Christ called to be a part of the true New Testament Church of it did not start on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2. We saw that with it being local and being visible that Jesus Christ called out his church when they called his disciples. He said come follow me and I will make you Fishers of Men they had a call they had an assembly and they had a purpose and so in all rights and all definitions everywhere that Jesus in this group went the New Testament Church went they didn't have buildings and stuff like we do today they they went about going there and so a very pivotal before and at the end of Jesus's ministry here up on this Earth. He looks at Peter and he tells him that I will give unto these the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and whatsoever Thou shalt bind on Earth shall be Bound in heaven and whatsoever Thou shalt loose on Earth shall be loosed in heaven when we talk about Keys. What does it mean Keys of the Kingdom when we speak about keys keys usually speak of two things they speak of authority and they also speak of appointment in other words Daniel or Mandy or constantly coming up to me after church and they are asking me for my keys. Why because they're the keys to my truck. I have the authority over the truck. I have the access to the truck and the only way that they can get it as the keys. So it shows my party and my appointment over that the authority of the church resting in the idea and in the fall and the decision process in matters concerning the lives of Kingdom subjects when we talk about the kingdom of God and it being a spiritual Kingdom and it being a future Kingdom Basically, the church is what regulates the subject to the kingdom we control who gets in who gets out. He continues there and Matthew chapter 17 18 and verse 17 and he says and if he shall neglect to hear the tell it under the church, but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be a heathen man in a Publican verily I say unto you whatsoever you bind on Earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever. You shall loose on Earth shall be loosed in heaven. And so we see that the church was given the appointment of a key to the walk-in to unlock and it's clear here that the gospel message that church of the keys at the church can trolls is the gospel message. We control who hears the gospel. We control who receives the gospel in the fact that it is our job to go into the world and do what Preach the gospel. God does not use other means today. God is not going to come in and speak out of a bush today to anybody is not going to come and speak out of a cloud anybody hear the church here for the gospels of the keys in the gospel of Salvation to get into heaven. So that shows us our responsibility with these keys and without unlocking of the door of Salvation through the application of the Gospel is given in John chapter 21 verse 23 is also mentioned and we see that as we go through the book of Acts. We see in the book of Acts were salvation through the preaching of the Gospel came in Acts chapter 2, first of all to the Jews on the day of Pentecost. And then we see that in action chapter 8. We saw the Gospel of Jesus Christ come to the Samaritans there and then what happens in Acts chapter 10, we find the gospel. Coming to the Gentiles through the house of Cornelius. And so we see the church giving out the gospel to the Jews to the half Jews and then to the Gentiles did the Greeks and everyone else until the New Testament Church basically as we look at this when we see this Authority and we see this appointment the New Testament churches a unique divinely established in authorizing recruiting Agency for the kingdom is our job to 2% just like Jesus Christ, even though he had already called his church. What was he doing? He was still recruiting for the kingdom because he continued to talk about the kingdom be continued because why because he is the king he does the Lord over that Kingdom and he was here with them. But when he left he went with that Kingdom and he left the church here to guide and direct and so as we look at this that they Mention to you in Matthew chapter 18 and verse 17 and 18. And so I want us to contrast the kingdom of God with the New Testament Church. When we look at the kingdom of God everywhere in scripture. The kingdom of God is universal and it's everywhere because it's a spiritual Kingdom and it is everywhere because it's where where where God's at and so it is a universal Kingdom anyone can come please look at the New Testament Church. However, in the New Testament Church is not Universal. It's local we cannot decide what Sharon is doing tonight. We can't decide what Holland Chapel is doing or what Spring Creek is doing we can't have any control over what they are doing in their assembly tonight all we can control and dictators what's happening in our assembly that makes it local that's why if there's a problem. You don't run and go tell somebody that's a member of another church or another another congregation. It's up to us to solve that it's up to us to take care of that. Then we look at the kingdom of God. We see not only that it's Universal in the New Testament is local but we see the kingdom of God is one is one Kingdom. There's not multiple kingdoms are not multiple Nations. There's one Kingdom, but then we look at the local church. There's many churches in there. And that's what I meet you this. I've called these other churches by name and so there is many churches throughout the United States and throughout the world. We look at the kingdom of God. It is invisible. You can't see it. You can't enter in however the local New Testament Church is visible. I can see the church tonight because we're here we're meeting in that capacity in so I can see who is apart of Kentucky church and what we are doing we look, The kingdom of God it is only entered through regeneration. In other words. Once you are saved as a child of God you automatically or entered into the Kingdom of Heaven Paul said to be absent from this body is to be immediately present with the Lord. However, and not only do you have to be regenerated to get into the church, but you also have to be baptized and we saw that this morning to Samuel came this morning Samuel Jones and next Sunday morning. Hopefully, we will have a baptism in our morning service. But when he came or did you do it already been saved but he hadn't had scriptural baptism and so he came and wanted to follow the lord and scriptural baptism. And then he becomes a part of the church. So the Regeneration got him to Heaven just like the thief on the cross you remember Jesus said to him today Thou shalt be where with me in Paradise. He got into the king of he made it to Paradise. But guess what? He never was a part of the local New Testament Church. When you look at John the Baptist John the Baptist in his ministry said about Jesus Christ that when it came to that marriage feast in the Kingdom. John the Baptist would be there. But John the Baptist would not be a part of the Bride. He would just be a friend of the bridegroom. And if so, will you see the John the Baptist was saved and was the Forerunner but John the Baptist never did join the local church. He had his own special Ministry his own calling. He never followed Jesus. They were always in separate spots. And so he was never a part of that local visible body. We look at the kingdom of God. We see that every single member in the kingdom of God is say you cannot get there without being saved. However when we look at the church, Only some members are saved not everybody in the church. I hate to bust your bubble but not everybody in the church is safe. He said that there will be in that church that there will be tears that will grow up together and there's going to be saved and there's going to be the lost but guess what when we get ready to go to the kingdom then what did he say in that Parable that the one that comes Jesus Christ he will sort out the wheat from the tares and only the weak will then go to heaven and the tears will be left behind and burned with fire. And then so when we look at that not everybody in the church is safe. We have to take it by the word, but guess what if you are not saved if you've never been regenerated then there is no way that you can get into heaven because it is controlled by God who's able to know all things spiritual see man looks on the outside, but God looks weird on the heart on the inside. He knows what you really did and we see That over and over the Gospel of John on Sunday morning have it with that where they would profess one thing but Jesus knew what was on their heart he knew what they were thinking and everyday then the kingdom of God of the membership in the end of permanent. Once you have been placed into the kingdom of God because of Salvation, no man can pluck you out. You are permanently they are you are in the Kingdom no matter what happens to you or anything like 1st. Corinthians says nothing can separate us from the love of God. There is nothing that can take us out of that Kingdom. However, in the New Testament Church membership can be moved so we can we can change our membership we can go join another church. And so it's kind of a revolving membership type deal and we see that quite often but once you get into the kingdom of God, you can't leave and you can't be kicked out. It was just different from the New Testament Church. We look at the kingdom of God. It is a theocracy and the New Testament. Purchase a democracy. What do we mean by theocracy? God controls. It God is the sole Authority in the kingdom. It is his kingdom and his his rules. That is you can only enter into that Kingdom One Way, Jesus Christ said I am the way the truth and the life no man cometh unto me but by the father and so Jesus Christ is the entrance into that kingdom of God rules that God controls that God does everything even Satan is under the control of God in that Kingdom an example of that would be look at a job when Satan was there and argued over Joe that was there Satan was able to discuss with God but yet he could only do what God allowed him to do you you you may do some bad things to Joe, but you can't harm them. You can't touch him and so God and put boundaries and guess what in that Kingdom Satan? To obey cuz God is the ultimate Authority in the kingdom of God. There's no officers. There's going to be no, there's no pastors. There's no deacons. There's no teachers in the Kingdom of Heaven There Is God that sits on the road on the throne of God, and then we have what we have God and then we have his bride Jesus Christ in the bride there in Jerusalem, and there's no officers meeting of the kingdom of God. However, in the New Testament Church, there are offices. There's the office of the pastor. There's the office of the deacon we look at the kingdom of God. There is no ordinances. What do we mean by ordinances? Well in the New Testament Church, we have baptism and we have the Lord's supper and we are to do both of these as a sign and as a picture of what told us baptism is a picture of our death to our old life and it looks forward to the resurrection ultimately with Jesus Christ it in this Kingdom and so baptism is a picture of The Lord's Supper is a time that we look back to the death and burial of Jesus Christ. When his blood was shed for us when his body was broken for us to know that he will come back because he lives we live also and so both of these look forward to the time of the Kingdom, but guess what in the Kingdom you don't have what are you trying to picture in the kingdom when you're already there and you're already experiencing it in the kingdom of God, there is no discipline if everyone is saved and everyone is perfect and we need no Discipline Do We however in the New Testament Church, even though it's not exercise much anymore, but that's not God's fault. And that's not the words fault. That's our fault that we don't follow through and obey the word of God to perform the word of God, but yet in the church discipline should be exercised and that's part of the teaching on this church that we're going to go when you realize that all blessings from God. Flow through the church and the church is discipline you than what's happening is is they are cutting you off from God's blessing. Listen. I have an obligation is Pastor to pray for you to minister to you because you are in the church you were in the flock the deacons have an obligation to minister to you as being people in this block, but when the church disciplines and set you aside then guess what there is no free or there is no blessings. There is no Ministry. And so what it should do is not produce a a bad hard. It shouldn't produced Rebellion, but it does as we seen in the nation of Israel and with others, but what it should produces repentance that brings them back under the umbrella and the blessings of the church back under the spiritual leaders in the ordinances that God has laid out for us. That's the purpose of discipline that is there. And so that is found in New Testament Church, but when it comes to the kingdom of heaven guess what you're you're you're there by salvation and so everyone is already complete and there is no sin that is there and saw the kingdom of God the Kingdom of Israel in the church notice the kingdom of God Acts chapter 1 verse 3 gives us a a very good lesson here are good verse that actually helps us to see this idea of the kingdom of God and the church and if you have your Bibles look at Acts chapter 1 verse 3, it says to whom also he showed himself alive after his passion, which is his death there on the cross of Calvary by many infallible Pro being seen of them 40 days and speaking of things pertaining to what The kingdom of God and so what is this worst telling us access picking up where Luke left off. Luke is the same author of both of them. And so what's happening here. He's telling us that Jesus Christ after he rose from the dead. He spent 40 days teaching and showing himself to people and and teaching things about the kingdom of God. That was there you go when you read Matthew Chapter 5 6 & 7 Jesus's first sermon it all deals with the kingdom of God it it deals with how you get into the kingdom of God how things should look because you are a citizen of the kingdom of God all of these things and so he taught them for painting the kingdom of God, but then you come to verse 4 and look at what it says. It says I'm being assembled together with me. I'm talking about his disciples at and the early church. We know that the ones that he's fixing to send her to Jerusalem. There was 7 That was gathered there in the upper room. I'm sure that they were part of this as amongst other people that was there with them. He says being assembled together with them commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father which seity you have heard of me and then noticed in 6, we nailed verse 3 and 4 deal with the kingdom of God. He is talking to them and teaching to them and he says you now go to Jerusalem and you weigh but then we come to verse 6 and notice we see the Kingdom of Israel hear the Kingdom of Israel when they therefore were come together. They asked if him saying Lord will file at this time restore again the kingdom of what to Israel to Israel and so were talking about a different Kingdom between the Kingdom of Israel and the kingdom of God. They're asking. Are you fixing to step on the throne of David? Are you fixing to rule and the rain and he said unto them look at what he says it is not for you to know the times are the seasons which the father has put in his own power. What is he talking about? He said you guys are already a part of the bigger Kingdom and you guys are here represented in the church. Why in the world are you worried about the Kingdom of Israel? Because that's only a kingdom that is only going to last for a thousand years. The Kingdom of Israel is going to last during the millennial Reign when Jesus Christ sits on the throne of God, and so it is a very Kingdom. It's not going to last forever. And you say and why are you putting so much focus on that when you ought to be focusing on what the Eternal Kingdom and doing what I said that which is what go to Jerusalem and wait Wait for what till the Holy Spirit can endow you as the church so that you can enlist and preach the kingdom that is there about Jesus Christ. We talked about the Kingdom of Israel and lots of people get to the Kingdom of Israel confused and we see it really played out when you start studying eschatology, which is the end times in Revelation and Daniel and Ezekiel. So many times we Scholars and different ones try to merge the church the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of Israel and they try to make them all one and you're going to have problems if you do that because they are three different two kingdoms and one church and Isaiah chapter 9 since it's Christmas. He says For unto us a child is born into us a son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulder in the night his name Shall be Called wonderful counselor the Mighty God the Everlasting father. The Prince of Peace of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no in of on the throne of David in the phone his kingdom to order it and to establish it.

With judgement with Justice from henceforth even forever the Zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this he goes on and Isaiah chapter 11 verse 1 through 3 there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse and a Brent she'll grow out of his route and the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him the spirit of wisdom and understanding the spirit of counsel and might the spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord and she'll make him a quick understanding in the fear of the Lord and he shall not judge after the side of his eyes. Neither reproved after the hearing of his ears then he goes on and verse for but with righteousness Shelly judge the poor and reprove with the equity for the meek of the earth and he shall Smite the Earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breadth of his lip Shelly slay the wicked and righteousness shall be the girl of his loyalty and faithfulness the girdle of his range the wolf also shall dwell. And the leopard shall all that lie down with the kids and the calf and the Young Lion and the battling together and the little child shall lead them and the cow in the bear shall feed the young one shall lie down together in the lion shall eat straw like the ox and the suckling child shall play in the whole of an ass and the wean child shall put his hand in the cockatrice. Then they shall not hurting or destroying all my Holy Mountain for the Earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse which y'all stand for an inside of the people to it. Shall the Gentiles seek and his wrist shall be glorious. This is the Kingdom of Israel. This is when Jesus Christ will fulfill the promises that was made that Israel is going to happen during the millennial Reign during the millennial reign of the line in the leopards. Just want to lay down with animals. The kids are going to play in the snake's den, and they're not going to get hurt or or or have to worry about poison or Venom because why because Jesus Christ is going to rule on the throne who is also a part of the bigger Kingdom the kingdom of God, but inside of that is going to be the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Israel. God is going to shut up leadership and in stuff that is there during that time with that. I put a charted.

Kingdom of God is as depicted when we talk about it. When we think about it notice here in the first thing. We have Satan's counterfeit Kingdom in that square butt and then outside of that is the mystery Kingdom that is within you the kingdom that is han han and then side of that big bubble the outside of it is the family of God. And so when we talk about the family of God and we talked about the kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of God. Basically, there's two kingdoms in there. There is the kingdom of God that is at hand and then there is the counterfeit Kingdom of Satan everything that God has done and tries to do Satanist tried to counterfeit and do also and that's why Jesus Christ is that just like the spiritual Kingdom Satan will also have his kingdom that is here. And so but it's all apart everyone who is saved is there Everyone lives within that then we go to the millennial Kingdom and this is with this kingdom comes with power. This is where we see Jesus Christ as he comes out of the sky riding on a white horse and he does what he comes all the way down to this earth and he touches this Earth again and he sets self up this Kingdom Heirs the millennial Kingdom any rules and he reigns with power top there about his his Bridal in in in his girth that is there is faithfulness Injustice at and we can see the power that is there. Once we leave the millennial Kingdom. If you remember for those of you that loves study and end times and all of that Satan is going to be released for a season all those that were born during the millennial Reign that if not professed Jesus Christ. Satan is going to get a big army together. They're going to fight one last battle and win that battle is over with At the end of that battles Jesus Christ was going to win. We already know the outcome of that he is going to take Satan he's going to take hell and he is going to cast it into the Lake of Fire and he's going to completely destroy this Earth is going to completely destroy the heavens and the Earth that we know now and that we experience and he is going to create a new Heaven and a new Earth and that is going to be the Everlasting kingdom of God there is going to be no male nor female. There's going to be no Jew or Greek. There's going to be no Israel in America. There's going to be none of these things in the kingdom of God. We are going to all be Servants of the Lord Jesus Christ forever and ever and ever and ever and so that's kind of a visual picture to kind of see where things happen and where things rest and so we are the kingdom of of a hand right now is this idea of the church we are to enlist And we are to try to get people matter fact. Paul says that we are ambassadors. Of the Kingdom speak into the church. It is our job to represent the kingdom. We're not there yet. It's a spiritual Kingdom, but you should be representing we should be different than this world that we should stand out if I went over to England or the friends, which I hope to do one of these days and the first time that I open up my mouth, I'll stand out right I was down in Mexico a few years ago. And and when I'm there, I usually try to walk the streets and and just about every home there within the community has some something that they say whether tamales weather drinks up something that is there at and because I've always helped in the missionary in that neighborhood. Then I go around and try to support all of his neighbors as a representation of the church and whatever and so I'll go to different ones and buy gum or whatever to give to the kids or buy Cokes and that I was in this one one day and I was sitting there trying to You're out how many pesos are on the guide? I'm talking to him and and I don't know why but when you you're speaking English to a man in Spanish, you slow down you get louder like they're going to understand it anymore. And so I'm really drawing out my language and I'm talking really loud and I'm talking really slow trying to get this Spanish Mexican to understand me and English who's not speaking a lick of Spanish in this woman comes in the back door. And she said, oh wow, you're from America and in for just a minute. I thought the gift of tongues have been reopened back up because all of a sudden I hear I'm straining to try to communicate with this guy and I hear English when we get to talk it but guess what they knew when I was in that neighborhood that I didn't belong I was different. I spoke different I talk different. I dress different my culture was different everything about me stood out and as the church, that's what we are supposed to be doing in this world. Romans chapter 12 says be not conformed to this world. But what be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may present your bodies the physical stuff here as a Living Sacrifice unto God. So let's discern between the kingdom of God and the church as we look at the church and we look at the Kingdom. It becomes very plain to see those that hold the universal invisible Church Body of Christ Theory are failing to distinguish the obvious differences with hecklers. See you in Bassa Leah, they are basically just saying, okay, it's two words, but we're going to ignore that they have different definitions. And so they can stretch they have to reach to try to make these to the same the conclusion of all of this has various storical roots, and it's a whole nother lesson for another time. I don't even know if I'll deal with it unless somebody actually requested or not. Basically this Universal Church idea lies at the heart of the development of the first Universal Church concept which was the Catholic Church. They started this because you have the pope who is the head and you have everybody else that is under and what they're even doing today with this whole ecumenical Universal idea is they want to bring everybody else under their Authority and their guidance and so you can go back in history all the way and you can study Martin Luther who ended up nail in the 95 Theses. They're on the door in his early writing that the church was a local church. But what happened was is that Martin Luther finally discovered and found out that if you did not have the support of the Catholic church and everybody else then guess what your I'm going to survive very much. And so he conveniently begin to change his ideas and his opinions into this Universal idea. And that's why it's been passed down from ages to ages and we see it today. That's why when I fill out my surveys or papers and they ask what what are you are you a Jew or are you a you're my mind just went blank broadest it? Praise God, they still have other colon and a blank and every single time. I fill out that form. I put in that blank Baptist.

Some bad just claim to be popped Protestant, but I you can't be Protestant and be a real Baptist. It is just not going to happen. And so really that's kind of the way that we are there. And so what I want to do is is taking and it will get back into this after the first of the year a little bit. But but I believe that this Universal idea is what is causing a lot of our young people and stuff to have this Kingdom idea and that we forget about that. We really don't need the local New Testament Church, but the Bible the New Testament is very clear and it's very playing that Jesus Christ shed his blood for the church and he commissioned us and he left us here for a purpose and that purpose is to represent the kingdom of God here in a physical world. And I'd only way that we can represent spiritual things in a physical world is by being filled and controlled by the Holy Spirit. And so it is vitally important. You cannot be spiritually controlled and filled by the Holy Spirit unless you are a part of the New Testament Church because Christ gave the Holy Spirit not to the individuals, but he gave it to the church to empower the church to go into the world and preach the gospel. And so without the church you can not doing what God wants you to do and what God requested you to do. And so we have to keep that in mind. We have so many today that are wanting to start their own words and they're wanting and their label it under the thing of Kingdom work. But listen, you cannot do Kingdom work if you don't have a local church to do it. There's not a universal church. And so that's where all of this is stamped. And that is the point that I wanted to make and hopefully you understand that and hopefully we're able to see that but guys the church is important. But today we're losing our importance. We're losing that power in that Authority that Jesus Christ gave us that whatsoever we bind on Earth is bound in heaven whatsoever is loosed on Earth is loosed in heaven and so that keys of that Authority in that appointment that we have to the gate of the Kingdom. We're losing control and power of that because we're watering it down and making it this thing where everybody can come together and body can worship together because we're worshiping the same God we're trying to get to the same place of the sad thing is is we're not all going to make it. There's only one way and that's Jesus Christ. Do we stand we have aversive invitation tonight?

Maybe