Living In The Kingdom Part 1
Scripture: Matthew 5:3-12; First Corinthians 13:6; Psalm 51:1-4
This morning I am starting a series that I’ve titled “Living in the Kingdom.” This series will cover the sermon that Jesus gave on the mountain which is recorded in Matthew chapters five through seven. There is so much that He taught us in that sermon that this will probably be one of the longest series that I have delivered since being a pastor. In His one sermon, Jesus gave us insight into what our lives should be like here on earth after accepting Him as our Savior. Because of the state of our world today, the Spirit impressed upon me to do something that I have never done, cover this entire sermon and do it without rushing through it and minimizing the content. So I ask for your patience as I obey the guidance of the Spirit of God in these messages. I will take breaks during the series so you won’t get too tired of my voice and I am grateful for Pastor Cynthia being available to deliver the messages that God lays on her heart during those breaks.
When you read the book of Matthew, Matthew makes the argument that Jesus is the expected Messiah-King that was foretold to come. When you read what Jesus taught in His “Sermon on the Mount”, you will find that He addressed the lifestyle of those who would submit to Him. He address this as the destined Ruler of all of mankind. In other words, He addressed this from a position a having the authority to do so. We will begin with what is commonly known as the Beatitudes – a series of “blessed are/happy are” statements. In the Beatitudes Jesus explores issues that deal with basic values which we (human beings) adopt and live by. The point that He makes is that the values of this world do not lead to blessings. Instead, blessing, as you heard a couple of weeks ago in my message titled “A Blessed Man”, come through living by the values which the world despises but which God holds dear.
The word “blessed” is used often in both the Old and New Testament. In the Old Testament, especially the Psalms, the “blessed are” statements describe the qualities in a person which brings him or her God’s blessings. Here in the book of Matthew, the Greek word for blessings is makarios, which means “happy.” The word “blessed” describes their inherent state, not to their receiving a gift from God or man. In Matthew chapter five, Jesus focused on the present state of persons who adopt values and attitudes which permits them to know, now, the inner touch of God in their present lives. In other words, Jesus tells us how to live in the kingdom of God right now, here on earth. When the men and women who listened to Jesus as He taught this message, the kingdom concept was new and powerful to them. They were used to looking forward to the future when God would act, but in Jesus’ message they heard that God was already exercising kingly authority here on earth. The kingdom emphasis on an active God underlies the entire message that Jesus delivered on the mountain. As we go through these messages I want you to see that only those who place their full confidence on God as a King who will act on their behalf now can ever truly build up the courage to start living the lifestyle that Jesus lays out for His followers in this sermon. Only those with a true belief and confidence in God can live in His kingdom here on earth.
Jesus said the following in Matthew 6:33, “But seek you first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Although I will go much deeper into this verse when we get to that section of Scripture, I wanted to open with this verse because it really tells us what we should be doing as children living in God’s kingdom. Although a multitude of people were present when Jesus delivered the teaching on the mountain, His “students” were His disciples, who were new members to His kingdom. As I have said, in this sermon Jesus was telling them how to live in the kingdom of God while simultaneously living on the earth. He wanted the disciples, and each one of us, to know that we have dual citizenship and we have to understand how to live in each kingdom. As a reminder, dual citizenship refers to the status of an individual who holds the nationality of two different countries at the same time. Individuals with dual citizenship enjoy the same rights and have the same responsibilities as the citizens of both nations.
Here me closely on this one. From a spiritual and natural perspective, everyone has dual “kingdom” citizenship. For Christians, we belong to the kingdom of God, but we live naturally in this earthly kingdom. For non-believers, spiritually they belong to Satan and they too live naturally in this earthly kingdom. Remember, spiritually there are two kingdoms, God’s and Satan’s. Those are the only two choices. We left Satan’s kingdom when we got saved and spiritually transitioned to God’s kingdom. From that moment forward we had to learn how to live in this new kingdom. Many people transition to their new kingdom but still try to live as if they are still part of their old kingdom. This, in reality, is trying to have triple citizenship and that will not work. God will not share His kingdom with Satan. So once we transitioned from Satan’s kingdom to God’s kingdom, we must to learn how to live in God’s kingdom. The entirety of the Sermon on the Mount is focused on teaching us how to live in God’s kingdom while we are here on earth. Why is this so important? It’s important because the world that we live in naturally is filled with things that are designed to draw us away from God spiritually. Remember what Jesus told the disciples when He taught them to pray? He said, “9After this manner therefore pray: Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name. 10Your kingdom come. Your will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:9-10) He told them (us) to pray that God’s will be done here on earth as it is in heaven. That is our living in the kingdom of God when our lives ensure that His will gets done through us. The Bible says Satan is the god of this world. Think about that as him having the most influence on what happens in this world. So while we exist in this world and have access to everything within it, Jesus is teaching us how to discern what to access and what not to access in the world by focusing on living in God’s kingdom. He wanted us to remember whose kingdom mattered most. He wanted us to remember that even though we exist in this world and have access to everything within it, we belong to God and are to act like we do.
With that introduction to His sermon, we will begin this morning with Matthew 5:3-4. Again, I will not be rushing these messages. Let’s read verses three through twelve and then we will come back to verses three and four. As we read through these verses, please remember that everything we read applies to all of us who live in the kingdom of God. Matthew 5:3-12 says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. 5Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. 6Blessed are they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. 7Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. 8Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 9Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. 10Blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11Blessed are you, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets who were before you.”
In verse three Jesus said “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3) It has been disputed whether Christ meant the poor in reference to the material things of this life, or the humble. You can find believers on both sides (materialistic poor and those who are humble), but I believe Jesus was referring to those who are humbled by the understanding of the Gospel and what Jesus did for us. It means to have a humble opinion of ourselves; understanding that we are sinners, having no righteousness of our own; being willing to be saved only by the grace and mercy of God; being willing to be where God places us, bearing what He lays upon us and going where He bids us. It’s being willing to give our lives for Him; being willing to be in His hands, and to feel that we deserve no favor from Him. It is the opposite of pride, self-confidence, competence, self-reliance, vanity, and ambition. All of these values are what the world values and are opposed to what Jesus said. The natural world that we live in values pride, self-promotion, self-achievements and anything that adds value to self and personal independence. The one who is poor in spirit will not be found walking in a lot of self-pride because they understand, by definition, that they are in need of someone – Jesus Christ! Pride and personal independence fights against obedience and dependence (a need for Christ). Pride and personal independence says “I can make it alone; I do not need anyone.”
It is important to understand that when we read this verse Jesus is not saying that the poor person is blessed, even though they are from a spiritual perspective, but those who are “poor in spirit.” It is not our financial poverty but a poverty of spirit that entitles us to the blessing. Jesus did not say blessed are the “spiritually poor”, but blessed are the poor in spirit. There is a difference. A “spiritually poor” person is someone who is in need of the grace and Spirit of Christ but doesn’t realize it or rejects the knowledge of it. This is different from being poor in spirit. Jesus also did not say “blessed are they that make themselves poor by leaving their wealth”, as some in ministry choose to do as part of their service to God. Jesus is saying blessed are they whom the gospel makes poor. It’s the gospel that gives us clarity of mind of what Jesus has done for us. It’s the gospel that shows us to see our true selves in light of God’s righteousness that leads us to repent and seek forgiveness. It is the gospel that gives us insight into our spiritual wants and necessities, and directing us to Christ that we may be made rich.
Jesus said that blessed in that person who does not approach life with confidence in themselves or reliance on their personal gifts and talents. It is not the person who is so self-confidence in themselves that they believe that they can handle everything that life brings to them. They need no one because they have anything they need to handle life’s challenges. However, the person who approaches life without a self-based confidence is open to being reliant upon God. They know they have needs that they themselves cannot fill. They know they will face challenges that they are not equipped to handle. They know they need God. For this person Jesus said “theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The kingdom of heaven in this verse means the reign of God in the heart and life of the person. I want you to hear me on this one and listen to what Jesus said. He did not say that theirs “will be” the kingdom of heaven (future tense) He said theirs is (present tense.) It was not that they had to wait until they died and got to heaven; they get to experience this right here on earth. Remember, Jesus often spoke to the disciples about the kingdom of heaven being present with them because He was with them. When the Pharisees pressed Jesus about the kingdom of God, Jesus told them it was not what they were thinking. Luke 17:20-21 records the following: “20And when He was demanded by the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, He answered them and said, ‘The kingdom of God comes not with outward observation. 21Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” When we approach life with a humble spirit, fully relying on the King, we make ourselves available to His direction – to be guided by Him. And get this, we open our present and our futures to Jesus and what He wants to do for and through us! This mentality brings us to a place of asking the King to reign in our lives. And guess what? When Jesus truly reign in our lives, we begin to live in His kingdom right here on earth. When Jesus reigns in our lives, we do not need the “WWJD” bracelets to remind us to do what Jesus did, we will know because His Spirit dwells within us! That is kingdom living! Let’s continue.
Next Jesus says, “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.” “They that mourn” speaks of mourning over sin, the godly sorrow that produces repentance leading to salvation without regret. The comfort comes through forgiveness and salvation. Remember what Paul wrote in First Corinthians chapter thirteen when he talked about what love does? He wrote, “Rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth.” (First Corinthians 13:6) When we are operating in the love of God, we do not rejoice in sin. We do not congratulate sin or call sin blessing. We must understand this. In the Greek Old Testament this verb is usually used “for mourning for the dead and for the sorrows and sins of others.” I have had many people that I have loved who died and when they died, I mourned. I cried and I mourned their loss, even though I believed I knew where most of them were. In each and every case, even though people tried to comfort me, I found the peace that I needed in God. He was the one who provided comfort when I needed it most – when I was in mourning. There is something about sorrow that makes a Christian reach out to God to find the comfort that only He can give. Grieving the death of someone is one example of this Scripture; but there is a second example which is most important that I want to call your attention to.
The second example as to how this word “mourn” is used focuses on how we should mourn for the sorrows and sins of others. While I am saying others, this also applies to our own sins that we have not repented from. Sin separates us from God and the only way to fix the separation is through confession (acknowledging the sin), repentance (turning away from it) and asking/receiving forgiveness. When we know someone is dealing with a lost and are in mourning, we are compelled to reach out and comfort them. Do you remember in the gospels it said “Jesus was moved with compassion?” Compassion is what compels us to want to comfort the person in mourning. We will call, send cards, prepare food for them, and do whatever we can to help comfort them. That is what a good friend, relative and Christian does when someone is in sorrow. But what about those situations when we know someone is living in sin or choosing sin consistently in their choices? Because we care, their situation should trouble us enough that we will mourn for them, and through that mourning, reach out to God on their behalf. This type of mourning is focused on others because we care about them and are concerned about their relationship with God. Remember, a disciple of Christ is focused on the eternity of those they come into contact with. We do not want anyone to be separated from God for all eternity, so when we know someone is living in such a state where that is a possibility, it should cause us to have concern. And with that concern we should mourn for them, but also reach out to them. It is important that we talk to the person who is living in sin, especially if they are claiming to be a Christian. A Christian who is living in sin is living a testimony that contradicts what the Bible says as it relates to their life and God is not pleased. Why should we be pleased with something that displeases God? Remember, what Jesus says in this sermon applies to those who are supposed to be living in the kingdom of God already.
Again, what I have just told you conflicts with the world in which we live in. The world says live and let live; mind your own business and stay out of everyone else’s; and leave others well enough alone! This mentality cannot be something that we take on as a part of our living in the kingdom because the very people this would hurt are the same ones God is trying to save. As a child living in the kingdom of God here on earth I must care enough about the lives of others to be troubled when their lives are out of control. Caring is one thing, but to be troubled is something else. We care about our family members and friends. We care about what happens to them and what is going on in their lives. But there are times when we see things they are doing that are not in their best interest and yet we keep our mouth closed. We care, but we are not troubled enough to say something about it. Then there are the times when someone we care about is doing something that truly disturbs us and we feel as if we have no choice but to say something to them. We know it is a risk, but we know we have to say something, even if it means angering them. This is what Jesus hints at when He talks about those who mourn. Do you mourn those around you whose lives contradict what you see in the Bible? Is your spirit troubled enough where you will take time to pray for them in the midnight hour? Are you mourning in silence – seeing the troubled life of the person and not saying anything to them?
I want to read something to you that Paul wrote to the Corinthians. He said, “For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not regret, though I did regret: for I perceive that the same epistle has made you sorry, though it were but for a time. 9Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that you sorrowed to repentance: for you were made sorry after a godly manner, that you might suffer loss by us in nothing. 10For godly sorrow works repentance to salvation not to be regretted: but the sorrow of the world works death.” (Second Corinthians 7:8-10) Paul mourned for the Church at Corinth. When he wrote the first epistle to them, he found it necessary to rebuke them for their disagreements and other disorders which had occurred, caused division and were tolerated in the church. That epistle was tailored to produce pain (sorrow) in them, as severe and just reprimand always does. Paul felt very anxious about its effect on them. It was painful to him to write it, and he was well aware that it would cause deep distress among them to be reprimanded. However, Paul rejoiced in the pain he had inflicted, because the pain was transitory, while the good was permanent. He had caused them some suffering in this world, but the pain leading to repentance and salvation was for eternity. Through the words he had written them in the first epistle, they were hurt and some were angry. Remember, the epistle was written to the whole Church even though some in the Church were not part of the problem at all. However, after reading his words and digesting them, they knew he was correct and acted accordingly. What I want you to see here is that Paul mourned for them based on what he was told and having mourned, he took action. He understood that if he remained silent their scandal would cause irreparable harm and some would end up in hell for eternity. He was not thinking about the offense his letter would cause, he was thinking of their eternity. This is how we should be thinking about those we are mourning over.
Living in God’s kingdom here on earth means that we must first seek “the kingdom of God and His righteousness” and through that search learn how to live in it. Not every Christian is fully living in the kingdom of God here on earth and that my friends is a shame. I will continue with verse five next week.
Until next time, “The Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up His countenance on you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
(We are once again conducting live services on Sunday morning beginning at 9:15 a.m. We will continue to broadcast live on Facebook Live at 10:00 a.m.. Please tune in to "New Light Christian Fellowship Church" and like our page if you wish to watch our broadcast and be notified when we go live. If you are ever in the Kansas City, KS area, please come and worship with us at New Light Christian Fellowship, 15 N. 14th Street, Kansas City, KS 66102. We also have Thursday night Bible study at 7 p.m. via Zoom that you are also welcome to attend – please email me for the link. Also, for use of our social media, you can find us at newlightchristianfellowship on FB. To get our live stream services, please make sure you “like” and turn on notifications for our page so you can be notified when we are live streaming. We also have a church website and New Light Christian Fellowship YouTube channel for more of our content. We are developing more social media streams so please stand by and we will notify you once those channels are up and running. We look forward to you worshipping with us. May God bless and keep you.)
