; Kingdom  Seeking God’s kingdom #2      EBC     Wednesday Night Bible Study  7/21/04

  Bill Gothard – ‘only when we make our needs secondary to our relationship with God can we fully devote our energies to seeking His kingdom.

  God wants us to give all that we have to gain all that he has (John 6:27)

I. The Message of the Kingdom

  A. Matt. 5:3 (Christ) – poor –destitute (a person crouched in a corner begging). The term meant begging poor. The widow lady that gave two mites was poor but not begging poor. Begging poor means one who is completely dependent upon someone else, they have no means of self-support. In spirit – Jesus is talking here of the condition of the spirit but the wallet. John MacArthur – to be poor in spirit is to recognize one’s spiritual poverty apart from God. To see oneself as really being lost, hopeless and helpless. To be completely dependent upon God.

  B. Acts 1:3 (Christ) – divine rule over the hearts of believers

  C. Acts 19:8 (Paul) – from salvation to Christ’s rule over us even into Heaven

II. The Righteousness of the Kingdom

  A. The kingdom of God involve a King, the laws of the King and citizens who follow the laws

  B. In order to seek first the Kingdom of God we must follow his guidelines and display the character these laws promote.

III. Requirements for Right Standing

  A. Being born again John 3:3,5 – Phil. 3:9

  B. Childlike humility    Matt. 18:1-4

  C. Distrust of riches  Matt. 19:

  D. Personal purity   we are referred to as the Bride of Christ (2 Peter 3:14, Eph. 5:27). There is a great emphasis on purity. 1 Cor. 6:9-10, 1 Thess. 2:11-12. Purity can only be maintained thru the power of the Holy Spirit working in us. 2 Peter 1:3-4.

IV. Satan’s Kingdom

 A. God’s nature is love and the nature of love recognizes the one being loved to have a free choice to accept or reject that love.

  B. God controls the universe but he has given man the ability to make choices. Those who make the right choices receive the power of God and eternal life; the wrong choices receive eternal death.

  C. Satan himself rejected God’s love

  D. Bill Gothard – God responds to his foreknowledge to the will of the people. Rom. 9:21-23.

  E. Another reason for Satan’s kingdom to exist is to force all believers to be continually aware of our dependence upon God for protection, provision and direction.