About The kingdom

What do you know about the kingdom?

I wonder if we took a survey how many of us would pass on regard of the Kingdom of God?

Points like these

Where is the kingdom?

Can we experience the Kingdom today?

Im sure we could answer yes and no to some of these questions but could we actually explain in details?

Well today and the next few weeks were going to dive into the word And see what the Bible says about the kingdom.

So to put a disclaimer out there. Let me say two things before we dive in today.

God has been leading me to do a bible study throughout the week. Preparing myself and all of Us for the day we move into our new building.

So this is going to be a 20 minute bible study were going to do on FB live throughout the week. So we will start this today and continue in our study of the kingdom through out the week.

So this being said ill be trying a few new things throughout the week so we can have more of a follow along on what we will be talking about and doing on Wednesday nights. I may post a printable link on our facebook. Or some insightful information that I’ve studied that week that may be helpful when we join together.

THis is a community based online program. SO invite your friends to join us for our 20 minutes sessions as we break down the word and allow our biblical knowledge to grow.

There is a direct correlation with growing our Biblical knowledge and our growing in Faith.

The more we know the more we are able to be used by Holy Spirit to produce fruits far beyond our dreams could take us.

So today were gonna talk about us. Me. You. Before we can dive into the kingdom of God we have to understand where and when we fit into the kingdom.

Matthew 13:11 NIV

He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.

Whos them? And have then been given to me how can i unlock them?

If we break down our Gospel message, its not just salvation Jesus continues to offer us. As much as your salvation and my salvation is a huge part of the gospel story. Theres more to it. Jesus speaks of often in His ministry and sermons on the mountIan’s and near the lakes. He being Jesus is continually speaking about the amazing power and love of God, but also about the Kingdom of God.

The Kingdom draw near.

Matthew uses the term Kingdom of Heaven over 30 times and other gospel writers speak of the Kingdom of God numbers of times In explination Jesus beings to describe to us parable after parable….But they just dont make sense sometimes. Parables can leave us more confused before we read it.

For example we need to understand passages like this one

In Matthew 19: 23-24, ―Jesus said to His disciples: "I tell you, it is very difficult for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Again, I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle from the rich to the kingdom of God. "

Does this mean that we have to sell everything and give to the poor. But what about the poor then they would be rich?

Read

Read Matt 9 14-17, Mark 2 18-22, Luke 5 33-39 for more information

So for just the Next few minutes walk with me through this passage as we see the first and foremost thing we have to notice as we study about the kingdom.

In the book Changing Church by C Peter Wagner he states.

There is a whole generation of believers in this second apostolic age who are not nearly as interested in the fine points and details of theology as past generations have been. he goes on to say that there are few people who choose their church these days because of what is believes about open theology or calvanism or modes of baptism or church goverment or pretribulation rature or sanctification or predestination or the forensic theory of justification. If God is our Father and if we are saved through Jesus’ blood shed on the cross and if we are daily filled with and empowered by the Holy Spirit brother wagner goes on to say thathe is convinced we can find a way to work together despite our theological differences. Lets not overcrowd our inner circle of theological absolutes. If we do, the exciting new streams flowing from what the Spirit is saying to the churches may pass us by.

Now ima tell you what this isnt passage is something i was torn between, I see we have a generation of people who are crossing the denominational boarders and restraints of religious thinking and self righteous beliefs. However.....this creates a bigger problem for the church.

Its one thing to have to many rules. Theres another to not have any. When i mention rules i dont mean the donts and the do’s of religion. I mean the standard on which we live our life.

Its so constraining to think of my relationship with Jesus as a whole bucnh of things i must do in order to recieve salvation or even better yet to hold and to have life here on earth.

Its another thing for us to go about my buisness thinking Holy Spirit does all the works for me.

Well lets break down the very verse that speaks to us about our affiliation with not only salvation. But the entering of the Kingdom of God.

Luke 5:33–39 NIV

33 They said to him, “John’s disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.” 34 Jesus answered, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? 35 But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.” 36 He told them this parable: “No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. 37 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. 38 No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. 39 And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’ ”