The Kingdom Of God

The Kingdom of God

(Dan 2:44)

And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

Introduction:

1. The Meaning of the Kingdom

a. Our Lord, according to Acts 1:1-5, spent forty days revealing the pattern of the kingdom to the apostles between His resurrection and ascension.

b. The kingdom was organized by Christ, and was set up by the Spirit-filled apostles after he returned to the Father.

c. The kingdom was organized without human creeds or practices.

d. According to Eph. 4:4-6 this kingdom was united as “one body,” vitalized by the one Spirit, animated by the one hope, acknowledging the one Lord, professing one faith, submissive to one baptism, and dependent upon the one God and Father of all.

Chart by Donnie Barnes

2. The Kingdom or the Church?

a. Christ said “My kingdom is not to this world” (John 18:36), thus illustrating that His Kingdom was spiritual as opposed to physical.

b. Christ Kingdom is the Church of Christ.

i. In Matthew 16:18 Christ said: “I will build my church”, and in the next verse he speaks of the Kingdom (Matthew 16:19).

ii. Christ said that his disciples would “eat and drink at my table in my kingdom” (Luke 22:30), and the “church of God at Corinth” (I Cor. 1:2) was instructed about how to eat and drink at the Lord’s Table.

iii. Hebrews 12:23 talks about the “church” and in verse 28 say: “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved”.

3. The Origin of the Kingdom

a. Isa. 2:2-4 The gospel would go out from Jerusalem.

b. Matt. 3:2 The message of John the Baptist is “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

c. Matt. 8:5-13 The Gentiles will share the blessings of the Kingdom.

d. Matt 10:5-7 The twelve go out to preach “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

e. Luke 10:8-9 The seventy preach its nearness.

f. Matt. 18:15-17 Ways of settling disputes in the kingdom.

g. Matt 16:13-19 Jesus says he “will build” His church.

h. Luke 24:46-49 The promise would be fulfilled in Jerusalem after the Spirit filled the apostles.

i. Acts 1:1-5 They would wait in Jerusalem for the coming of the Holy Spirit.

4. The Admission of the Kingdom

a. Faith in Jesus as the Son of God (Acts 16:31, Rom 10:9-10)

b. Repentance toward Christ (Acts 2:38, Luke 13:13, Acts 17:30, 2 Cor. 7:10)

c. Confession of Christ (Matt. 10:32-33, Rom 10:9-10, I Tim 6:12)

d. Baptism into Christ (Matt. 28:19, Mark 16:16, Act 2:38)

5. Examination of Daniel Two

a. Nebuchadnezzar challenges his magicians, sorcerers, and seers to tell him both the dream and the interpretation of it (Dan 2:1-13).

b. God reveals the answer of the dream to Daniel in a night vision (Dan 2:14-23).

c. Daniel tells the dream and the interpretation of it (Dan 2:24-49).

I. It is Indestructible (“shall never be destroyed”)

a. The Kingdoms of the World

i. Babylon was the head of gold.

ii. Medo-Persia was the breast and arms of silver.

iii. The Greek Empire, led by Alexander the Great was the belly and thighs of brass.

iv. The Roman Empire was the legs of iron and feet of iron mingled with miry clay.

b. The Kingdom of God

i. The little stone cut out of the mountain.

1. It is the Kingdom of God.

2. It is established in the days of the fourth kingdom

ii. This kingdom is made without hands.

1. It is not a physical kingdom.

Joh 18:36

(36) Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.

c. The Kingdoms Compared

Kingdom of God Kingdoms of Men

It is made without hands

Made by the hands of men

Its king is Christ Many different kings

Its law is eternal under Christ Laws are ever changing

Its Constitution is the word of Christ Constitutions are continually drafted

Its authority is Christ Authority changes with each new king

It is exalted above all other kingdoms With each kingdom destroyed, another is installed

Its ideals are mimicked by other kingdoms Pagan ideals have faded into history

It is unified eternally Divided with each new conqueror

II. It is Final (“shall not be left to other people”)

a. “In the days of these kings”

i. Kingdom of Rome

1. These were Roman kings alive when during Jesus’ first advent.

2. The kingdom of Rome was as strong as iron.

3. This kingdom breaks and crushes all who oppose her.