The Kingdom of God

Introduction

Recap Series

Week 1

Attitude of Prayer, looking at

Prideful verses Humble prayers

Week 2

Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name

we talk about being part of the family of God, and honoring the fathers name as holy

This week - The Kingdom of God

The Kingdom of God

Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Your kingdom come.

Your will be done

We misunderstand the word kingdom because of the advantage we have of living in a Representative Republic…

on earth as it is in heaven.

“The Individualism of western believers has taken the joy out of what it means to belong to the kingdom of God.” Matt Chandler

“When the word uses the word Kingdom, it always refers to his reign, his rule and his sovereignty, not the realm in which it is exercised.” Ladd; The Gospel of the Kingdom

When we think kingdom, it is easy to think where…

but the kingdom of God is referring to his reign, rule and sovereignty

We are not praying for a place to be brought here… but the reign, rule and sovereignty of God

A Picture of the Kingdom

Let’s draw a picture of the kingdom before we go farther...

for many, when we think kingdom we think heaven

we cannot describe heaven as we have not seen it, though it is out of this world… we only use human terms

But if the kingdom of God is not simply a place, we must describe it in another way…

God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth.” 29 God also said, “Look, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the surface of the entire earth and every tree whose fruit contains seed. This will be food for you, 30 for all the wildlife of the earth, for every bird of the sky, and for every creature that crawls on the earth—everything having the breath of life in it—I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good indeed. Evening came and then morning: the sixth day.

Speak of the creation of all things

how it was created… God spoke

every living thing was a vegetarian… don’t worry, that will change if you keep reading scripture

it is hard for us to imagine perfection… we are so used to this world of sin and brokenness.

No Sin

The world was created perfect, without sin

28 God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth.” 29 God also said, “Look, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the surface of the entire earth and every tree whose fruit contains seed. This will be food for you, 30 for all the wildlife of the earth, for every bird of the sky, and for every creature that crawls on the earth—everything having the breath of life in it—I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good indeed. Evening came and then morning: the sixth day.

God did not create Evil

did God create Satan, yes… , Satan was a Guardian Cherub, an angel of the Lord before he decided he wanted to be worshipped like God.

Heavenly war breaks out with many angels following him (now his demons)

this is what Hell was created for, Satan and his demons, after the fall of man, anyone who does not follow God, is not born again, will spend all of eternity there.

No Shame

The Bible says that Adam and Eve were naked and felt no shame

complete openness with God and each other…

this does not happen in our fallen world…

Heather and I with the salsa...

God fully knew them and they fully knew God

No Death

up to this point there is no death… did you catch it, even the animals were vegetarians

so the lions grazed in the fields like cattle

This is what the kingdom of God looks like

No sin or shame… no death… a place where God fully knows us and we fully know God

Citizens of the Kingdom

now with a little better picture of the kingdom, lets talk about who is in the kingdom

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image; he created him in the image of God; he created them male and female.

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image; he created him in the image of God; he created them male and female.

Special relationship with God

27 So God created man in his own image;

God makes man in his image or likeness, male and female are made in the image of God

nothing else in creation is made in the likeness of God

he created him in the image of God;

creation in all of its beauty cries out of the glory of God,

but it is not made in his likeness

God extends his grace to us, something that Satan and his demons do not get, Jesus did not die for their sins, but for yours.

but our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.

They were fully known and knew God fully

he created them male and female.

We are fully known, but know God dimly

For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, as I am fully known.

This is why we have this prayer…

look at the grace in …

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 So the Lord God called out to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.” 11 Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”

10 And he said, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.”

did they die… spiritually yes, the fellowship with God they had was broken.

11 Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”

did God physically kill them, no… GRACE, he begins to invite them into a life of confession

We can only commune through Jesus Christ

12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, as I am fully known.

sin and its curse has broken the fellowship with God and his creation

But we can now have fellowship with a holy God through the anointed one Jesus the Christ

 For there is one God and one mediator between God and humanity, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, a testimony at the proper time.

Those that have been born again, who put their trust in Jesus Christ, are saved, and as we talked about last week, children of God; citizens of Heaven, heirs to the throne!

Law of the Kingdom

laws… i am not big on a lot of laws in a “free” society

I believe that the more laws that you have, the less free that you are

but there are good laws…

do not murder, I like that one...

you can only drive a certain speed, I do not like that one as much for me, thought I like it for everyone else!

The Lord God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.”

15 The Lord God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.”

They were given one law… and failed

Kicked out of Eden

Chaos now ruled over peace, instead of subduing the world

Death Enters in

God has since, given 10 laws or commands, that Jesus condenced down to two...

Love God

Love People

Our record is about as good as Adam and Eve’s

But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Return of the Kingdom

So we pray for the return of this original kingdom

one where God’s will is done here on earth, as it is in Heaven

right now angels operate this way in heaven...

He who testifies about these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!

Are we saying then, that the God’s will is not done now?

Father, act in our world now in a way that would bring honor and glory to your name

20 He who testifies about these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!

No, God’s sovereign will is done, where nothing happens outside of the control of God… see

We are talking about his commanded will

We are praying for this kingdom to come to this world

Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!

This can only happen on earth when Christ returns and the sanctified saints remain