If you asked me the question “What is the Kingdom of God and what does it mean to be a kingdom person?” I probably would have answered, “Well, I guess that it’s where we all go as Christians when we die – it’s heaven.” And I think that a lot of Christians still think that way. We really don’t know exactly what the kingdom of God is. Actually, I think that most Christians think that it’s a great topic to have a spiritual conversation with someone.
But about 6 years ago, God showed me how wrong I was. And God began to change the way that I view what the kingdom of God is and He also began to give me a passion for the kingdom of God and growing it here and now.
Luk 16:16 The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.
THE TRANSFIGURATION STORY
In Matthew 17:1-8
Jesus had a crucial meeting with Moses and Elijah.
• Moses represented the era of the law
• Elijah attended the meeting on behalf of the prophetic era.
• It was about the close of 2 eras and the emergence of another era.
Jesus didn’t climb that mountain just to show off white shining clothes. He simply went up there to shut down two eras in the presence of 3 witnesses who were His disciples.
During the process, Peter suggested that they build 3 tents for the 3 personalities. More like what we do today…We tend to say to Jesus…” let’s build 3 houses, one for the grace you brought, the other for the law Moses brought and the other for the era of the prophetic.
”So we religiously hold on to the law, seek God through prophets and still call ourselves followers of Christ Jesus.”
We must not be like Peter. There is no need for 3 tents to house 3 eras. We only need one tent and that is the gospel of Grace and Truth which came through Jesus.
Well in the twinkle of an eye, Elijah disappeared from the mountain, Moses also disappeared, but Jesus was left alone and His body shone like the sun.
They disappeared so that the era which Jesus brings would shine.
This era Jesus is bringing is the only era that we need now, nothing else, so this morning, we try explore and understand this very era.
Lets read this passage again: Luk 16:16 The LAW and the PROPHETS were until John: since that time the KINGDOM OF GOD is preached, and every man presseth into it.
The title of my massage this morning is UNDERSTANDING THE KINGDOM.
WHY IS THE KINGDOM IMPORTANT?
The first sermon in the New Testament was from John the Baptist, “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matt. 3:2).
The beginning of the ministry of Jesus He started with this same message. “From then on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near!’
John spoke of it in the Gospel and concluded Revelation with this emphasis, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Messiah, and He will reign forever and ever!” (Rev. 11:15).
In Matthew 6:33, you will find the words of Jesus about the kingdom. Very specifically he says “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Now the word seek means:
• To desire to know
• To pursue
• To study or explore
It doesn’t just mean to go looking for it means you have to dedicate yourself to understanding it, to learn it, to see how it words. In other words, your first desire should be ;
• To know about the kingdom
• Where it is
• How it functions.
The mission of Jesus is very obvious and it is for you to Understand and receive the kingdom of God.
Matthew 4:17: From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Luke 4:43: But he said to them, I have to give the good news of the kingdom of God in other towns, because that is why I was sent.
He is saying, I have come to bring you a kingdom not a religion.
A religious is under the control of a State.
A kingdom is under the control of a king
What we basically have is a religion and our religion is a complicated one that is not benefiting us too much. As a mater of fact one of the most benefit we have in religion is a good burial but to live victoriously everyday and to understand the wisdom of God in our daily lives, in our jobs, in our relationships, nothing is seen. Meaning that we still struggling to attaining what God promised which is Victory over the world.
KINGDOM DEFINED
A Kingdom is the sovereign rulership and governing influence of a king over a territory, impacting it with his WILL, PURPOSE and his INTEND.
it is a government impacting a territory.
So, when Christ says, “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
He is saying; change your mind because the government of God has returned to earth to impact it with HIS WILL, PURPOSE and INTEND.
He didn’t come to start a religion; he came to impact the entire planet with HIS WILL, PURPOSE and INTEND. That is why Christ says when you pray, pray like this:
Luk 11:2 “ … Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. THY KINGDOM COME, THY WILL be done on earth, as is in heaven.
Jesus is saying; your basic prayer will be, God impact this planet with your WILL because that’s what kingdoms do.
Kings impact territory with their will.
That is why Christ didn’t come as prime minister or a president, he came as a KING. And that KING must rule.
Let’s say this together, THE KINGDOM IS COMING ALIVE INSIDE OF ME.
The first thing God gave man was a KINGDOM. You will be surprised that Genesis 1:26 used this interesting word…. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have DOMINION over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
Dominion is a word in Hebrew Mamlakah. This word Mamlakah literally means KINGDOM…which means Gen 1:26 can also be read as “and god said let us make man in our Image and likeness and let them have KINGDOM over the earth.
What Adam lost was not a religion but a kingdom, Mamlakah
Dominion – that is why when Jesus came, he started announcing that the thing we lost is back again.
The kingdom of heaven is here he said.
That was his message in Matthew 4:17…repent for the kingdom (Mamlakah) has arrived.
He brought back rulership not activities.
That is why the number one opposition of Christ were not sinner, they were his friends, it was the religious people.
Because dominion goes against religion.
Religion keeps people under control, subdues them – when we talk about the kingdom, we talking about FREEDOM, AUTHORITY, RULING AND REIGNING IN LIFE, IMPACTING AND CHANGING THE COUNTRY FOR CHRIST.
And believe me, we have a done such a poor job in this.
We have reduced Gods intend into a religion which has become impotent and, in many ways, useless to changing the society. You have churches everywhere yet crime goes twice as much.
Why – is this religion impotent.
1. Religion is something that you form, a citizen is something that you are
2. . Religion ISOLATES rather than INFILTRATE
3. Instead of going into the world, we stay away from it.
4. earth religion prepares us to leave but the kingdom prepares us to IMPACT earth.
5. Religion says Handle not, taste not, do this, do that, kingdom says go into all the world and disciple the nation. This is a national agenda…. every kingdom must have a national agenda and we are the ambassadors/representatives of this kingdom.
You cannot be an ambassador of a country if you are not in touch with the government of that country.
