The Kingdom Jesus Built Series

A man told about growing up on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. He often spent hours on the beach creating intricate sand castles and he said he could build whole cities with his hands every day. But one year (for several days in a row) there was a group of bullies that came down to beach and destroy his creations. Understandably, he got a bit annoyed… and he thought about it long time.

Finally came up with an idea. He said: “I placed cinder blocks, rocks, and chunks of concrete at the base of my castles. Then I built my SAND KINGDOM on top of those rocks. And when the local toughs appeared (I disappeared), their bare feet suddenly met their match.”

Notice what he said that he did: He built a sand KINGDOM on top of the rocks, and those who sought to destroy what he built… paid a price.

In Daniel 7 we read that “with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And TO HIM WAS GIVEN DOMINION AND GLORY AND A KINGDOM, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an EVERLASTING DOMINION, which shall not pass away, and HIS KINGDOM one that shall not be destroyed.”

Whoa! Who was this that was “like a son of man”? (pause) Well… that would have been Jesus. Isaiah 9:6-7 declared: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end. On the THRONE OF DAVID and OVER HIS KINGDOM, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.”

You see, when Jesus was born in Bethlehem, He was born to be a King. In fact, that’s what Jesus told Pilate: Pilate asked Jesus, “Are You a king then?” And Jesus answered, “You say [rightly] that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world…” John 18:37 (NKJV)

So, Jesus was born to be a King. But when did that happen? When did Jesus BECOME a King and what exactly was this KINGDOM that He was to rule over? Well, all thru the Gospels - before Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead - John the Baptist and Jesus, and Jesus’ disciples… they all preached the same message: "Repent, for the KINGDOM of heaven is at hand." Matthew 3:2

Whatever Kingdom Jesus had come to establish it was AT HAND. It was NEAR.

Now there are those who teach that Jesus won’t become a King until His 2nd coming where He’ll set up an earthly Kingdom and reign for a 1000 years. In essence, they’re saying Jesus isn’t really a KING… (pause) yet. And that His kingdom wasn’t as NEAR as He had said it was.

But, that’s not what the Bible says. Colossians 1:12-13 tells us We should be “giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified (us) to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the KINGDOM of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

When we became Christians, we were rescued from the domain of darkness and were transferred into the KINGDOM (pause)… Whose kingdom were we transferred into? Well it was the Kingdom of the BELOVED SON OF GOD. That would have been Jesus.

You see, Christ’s kingdom exists … NOW! In fact - it has existed ever since the day of Pentecost when about 3000 people repented and were baptized in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins. At that point… they were transferred out of darkness into the Kingdom of the SON!

And His Kingdom is called THE CHURCH. In Matthew 16, Jesus took His 12 disciples aside and asked them WHO they said He was. And Peter spoke up and said "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." (Matthew 16:16) Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:17-18).

THE CHURCH WAS THE KINGDOM THAT JESUS BUILT!

Now, of course, Jesus wasn’t talking about a building made bricks, & stone, and wood. The church Jesus was going to build would be built out of flesh and blood –YOUR flesh … YOUR blood. (and MY flesh and blood). The church Jesus built was to be made of you and me. WE are the church (we are His kingdom) and wherever we are - WE are that church; WE are that kingdom. Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave to save us and make us HIS people/ His kingdom/ His church.