The power of God’s Kingdom
John 12:12-16 NIV
What a splendid occasion it must have been, Jesus riding on that humble donkey, into the city of Jerusalem, while children spread palm branches on the street in front of Him. The people singing and shouting "Hosanna, Hosanna! Blessed is He who cometh in the name of the Lord."
Those were festival days. And the people who stood on the side knew that something special was happening in their very midst. Someone special was entering their city. And so they shouted "Hosanna."
The word Hosanna means "save we pray" a song of deliverance, honor, hope, joy.
Palms and the branches of palms were used in this important historic entry because they were then regarded as an emblem of victory, and the carrying and waving of its branches was emblematic of success and in honor of royalty.
John 12:12-16 NIV
12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.
13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Blessed is the King of Israel!"
14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written,
15 "Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt."
16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him.
Our King of peace.
Jesus came not as a conquering political hero on a war-horse. But as a spiritual deliverer on a lowly donkey. Proclaiming his spiritual kingdom.
Five days later the same crowd shouts for his crucifixion. What changed?
It wasn’t Jesus who changed. It was the crowd’s awareness of who Jesus really was.
They wanted a savior, who lives up to their expectations,
Christ came that we might live up to his standards
Jesus is not going to give us what we want, but what we need.
They wanted a physical KINGDOM
The notion that the Messiah would establish a literal kingdom upon the earth originated with the Jews. Many of them placed literal interpretations upon those prophecies which relate to the coming of Christ, and as a result they expected him to establish a temporal throne, subdue the nations, and restore again the kingdom of Israel.
Men try to make the kingdom by their own hands
At one time they tried to "take him by force, and make him a king," but he departed from them. John 6:15. He said, "Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures." "My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight."—John 18:36.
They did not understand the kingdom was there already
John the Baptist announced that the kingdom was "at hand" in the person of Jesus (Matt 3:2).
Jesus answer to a physical kingdom
"And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said,
Luke 17:20, 21. The kingdom of God cometh not with observation neither shall they say, Lo, here! or, Lo, there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you."—
Rom. 14:17—"For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and Joy in the Holy Ghost."
The need for a spiritual Kingdom
1. Satan has his kingdom
Matt 4:8-9 KJV
8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
a) We must take it deadly serious
Satan is very crafty, Man does not know himself so well as Satan knows him. There are back ways and subterranean passages into man’s heart which the devil well understands; and he who thinks that he is safe, let him take heed lest he fall.
It is even so with us. We may think that we are covered with virtue till we are totally invulnerable, but we have a heel somewhere; there is a place where the arrow of the devil can make way.
b) The occult is everywhere
Church of Satan
Back when Satanism could still shock the American public (how long ago that seems!)..
In 1966, Anton Szandor LaVey declared the beginning of the Satanic Age. Also at that time he founded the Church of Satan
LaVey set out to overturn Christianity and it’s virtues. LaVey promoted other “virtues”: indulgence, gratification of one’s impulses, revenge.
Satan work’s on us with the impulses come naturally to man. Satan uses the philosophy “if it feels good, do it” to lure souls into his kingdom.
He has managed make Satanism look Good and desirable. His influences on society are very visible.
2. Gods kingdom came, So God’s will be done, on earth as it is in heaven
Restoration of faith: Israel was the traditional center of Old Testament faith. But it is also the center of the corruption of that faith.
Restoration for mankind. To seek God’s kingdom and all of his righteousness
Restoration of all who are enslaved, who are defeated, who have been destroyed.
Restoration for victory for empowerment, for freedom, and liberty.
Understand we can help Satan tear down what has already been built, by a lack of active participation in God’s kingdom.
Dear "Friend,"
I visited your Sunday school service and was overjoyed to see that many of your class members were absent. I was thrilled to see that those who came were late, or tired and sleepy during the Sunday School lesson and also the sermon.
I rejoiced in hearing you just did not care for the lessons that were prepared. Of course, it is devilish to see some of you leave after Sunday school and not get your souls fed in the worship service.
Sunday is always one of my favorite days because that is the day I do some of my best work--getting Christians to stay home and watch television, or getting involved in sports and all sorts of "recreation."
I howl with laughter each time I see many of you fail to give much of your tithes and offerings; you make the board and minister squirm and fret over tight budgets and this takes away some of their effectiveness for the Enemy.
I hope you will miss services again this Sunday. Stay home where it is warm, and it will help you get used to the future climate. And one thing more--keep the attitude someone else take care of it. Or I don’t make a difference anyway.
--Satan
Conclusion:
Spiritual battle
We need to let God expect from us
We need to be kingdom builders
1. A pure religion. (Relationship with God)
2. A active faith
3. A sense of identity
We have a great potential:
We have a higher purpose:
We need to replace Satan’s kingdom
Power & Authority
Matt 28:18-20 KJV
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.
Ralph Waldo Emerson.
There is an enormous gap between what we think we can do and what God calls us to do. Our ideas of what we can do or want to do are trivial; God’s ideas for us are grand.
Do not pray for easy lives; pray to be stronger people! Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers; pray for powers equal to your tasks. Then doing of you world shall be no miracle, but you shall be a miracle. Everyday you shall wonder at yourself, at the richness of life which has come to you by the grace of God.
Jesus died for his kingdom, we was flogged, crucified, and then he arose giving us all power and authority to teach, preach and baptize in His name.
If we will die to self, if we understand our importance in the kingdom, if we sing hosanna. We will tear down Satan’s kingdom, and replace it with Christ’s.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon
The preaching of Christ is the whip that flogs the devil. The preaching of Christ is the thunderbolt, the sound of which makes all hell shake.
