The Kingdom Of God

The Kingdom of God Wed. - Oct. 27, 2004

Here's a statement that's going to rub some the wrong way: Man was not created to spend eternity in heaven:

Man was created to spend eternity here on earth in the Garden of Eden. That was God's plan when He created the Garden. Eden was a kingdom and Adam was its king. But he lost it all when he sinned.

God's plan of salvation was prepared from the foundation of the world. That plan was to restore God's kingdom back to man. The kingdom was lost by the first Adam and restored by the Second Adam, Jesus.

Matt. 25:34 "Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world".

The Kingdom of God has been around a lot longer than the earth has.

We Christians are abiding our time, we can't wait to get to heaven to see our mansion and to walk on streets of gold.

But God is waiting for us to wake up to the fact that the Kingdom of Heaven is here and now. When Jesus came He brought the Kingdom with Him.

While He was on earth He demonstrated the Kingdom of God by healing, delivering people from demons, raising people from the dead. Those were signs and wonders that were to make men want to be part of the Kingdom.

Jesus was and is the Door to the Kingdom. Our job is to tell others about this kingdom and demonstrate it by doing the same works Jesus did. When they want it so bad they can taste it we lead them to the Door, Jesus.

I. Psalm 115:15-16, KJV: Ye are blessed of the LORD which made heaven and earth. 16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD'S: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.

From the NIV: May you be blessed by the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. The highest heavens belong to the LORD, but the earth he has given to man.

The Message Bible: May you be blessed by GOD, by GOD, who made heaven and earth. 16 The heaven of heavens is for GOD, but he put us in charge of the earth.

II. When God created the heavens and earth He was in the business of delegating authority.

Gen. 1:18, "And God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. 17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, 18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

A. Laws of Nature:

a. The sun and moon were "To rule" over the day and night. He delegated authority to the sun and moon to rule, or reign overnight and day.

b. This is a law set into place at the time of creation.

c. There are many laws built-in to creation by God. The world calls them "natural" laws.

d. The thing that is unique about "Laws" is that we can't see them, only the results of them.

1. The Law of gravity. What goes up must come down.

2. The Law of motion. To every force, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

3. There are Laws of heat (thermodynamics). Touch fire you'll be burned. Touch your tongue to a piece of metal in freezing weather and you will stay in place for a while.

4. Other laws have to do with magnetism, electricity & mechanics.

II. Besides the natural laws God also established a kingdom on earth and delegated authority to Adam & Eve.

A. Gen. 1:25-27, "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. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."

B. Dominion = (according to Strong's Hebrew Dict.) to rule, to take, to prevail, to reign. To dominate, tread down, to subjugate (to bring under complete control, to master conquer & master).

From the Amplified Bible, "God said, Let Us [the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit] make mankind in Our image, after Our likeness, and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the [tame] beasts, and over all of the earth, and over everything that creeps upon the earth 27 So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them."