THE KINGDOM (Part 1)
INTRODUCTION: (Mark 4:11) And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: … (A mystery, something hidden, unrevealed, a secret.)
(Matt 6:33) But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
COMMENT: The commandment was not to seek religion. Not to seek for a position. Not to seek for housing . Not to seek for more money, clothes, shelter, food, water, security, significance, or anything else that the human race thinks is what they need, no the commandment was to seek God's Kingdom.
GOD’S PRIORITY was first seek the kingdom.
SEEKING means to pursue. To look for. To explore. To Study. To serch for.
SEEKERS must have a desire, and a passion for the object of there search or they will never make the effort.
THE KINGDOM RELATES TO EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE BIBLE:
(1) Divine Healing (2) Salvation (3) 2nd coming of the Jesus (4) Your Prosperity. (5) A right relationship to God. (6) Your Peace (7) It’s the only hope for our world; our neighborhood; our families; and the church
JESUS CONSIDERED THE TEACHING OF THE KINGDOM OF A VERY HIGH PRIORITY:
Luke 9:2 says, “And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick. (Mark 1:14) Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
COMMENT: You can’t find the kingdom of God through religion. It is religion that keeps people from the kingdom of God.
JESUS STATEMENT CONCERNING THIS IN (Matt 23:13 & 15) But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. (Matt 23:15) Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
COMMENT: This is what religion does it keeps people out of the kingdom. And then it takes in members and teaches them to be even worse than they are. And then it cycles over and over again. And no one comes into the kingdom.
HOW MUCH IMPORTANCE DOES GOD PUT ON THE PREACHING OF THE KINGDOM?
(Matt 24:14) And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
NOTE! The end will not come until we preach the good news of the kingdom to all the world. It seems like everything but the kingdom of God is being preached.
SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE GOING TO LEARN IN THIS STUDY
(1) The difference between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven
(2) Requirements for Entrance into the kingdom
(3) The understanding of the Kingdom parables.
(4) Understanding the Kingdom Concept
(5) The Kingdom Concept of Territory
(6) Kingdom Constitution
(7) Kingdom Law
(8) Keys To The Kingdom
(9) Kingdom Culture
(10) Kingdom Giving
LET’S GET STARTED WITH LESSON #1
DEFINITION: (KINGDOM) A realm; or country; with people ruled by a king.
QUESTION: Is your realm ruled by a king? Or are you the king of your realm?
WHAT IS GOD’S PLAN FOR MANKIND?
In order to understand about Jesus teaching of the kingdom we must first fully understand what God’s plan for mankind is.
WHAT IT IS NOT (IT IS NOT HEAVEN) understand that God’s universal plan for man is not to get him to heaven. That was never God’s plan from the beginning, and still is not his plan.
COMMENT: The reason why mankind created religion was because he had lost God’s original purpose for him. The fall in the garden of Eden caused a separation between God’s thinking and man’s thinking. Mankind began to take on there own way of running things on earth, instead of God’s plan for a kingdom.
WHAT WAS GOD’S ORIGINAL PLAN FOR MAN?
(Gen 1:26-28) 26 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. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
COMMENT: Let them have dominion over all the earth, was God’s original plan for mankind, and it is still his plan for mankind. God’s plan is not to bring us up to heaven to live there forever, but to bring heaven down to us. To bring dominion power, kingdom power into this earth through his servants.
Jesus said in (Matt 12:28) But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. (Dominion power. Authority power. Kingdom power.)
(Mark 1:14) Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
(Luke 9:2) “And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.
COMMENT: Jesus gave his disciples power to preach and demonstrate the kingdom of God. To have dominion, authoritative kingdom power.
COMMENT: The bible is not about religion, but about God’s establishment of a kingdom rulership on this planet from a heavenly realm, through his servants. It’s about a royal family, under the rulership of God, mandated to colonize the earth with born again servants of God.
(1 Pet 2:9 Explains it this way) 9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
(Rev 1:5-6) 5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and
the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God …
(Rev 1:9) I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, ….
COMMENT: You are not going to be a priestly king, you are right now a priestly king. If you are a born again child of God, you have been born into the royal family of God. You are a new creation. And as a new creation, and as part of the royal family you have been given a mandate to colonize the earth with other born again children of God who also rule through God’s Holy Spirit.
EXAMPLE: The British Empire use to have colonies all over the world. Whenever they took over a people. The British Empire would send a Governor to live among and to reign over the people of that land. He would be someone who came from Britain, and who knew the British language, customs, dress, and laws. He would then conform all of these new British subjects to all of the language, customs, dress, and laws of the British Empire. When he was finished with them they were conformed to the image of the British Empire. They now talked, dressed, thought, and acted, the same as those who lived in Britain. Now as British subjects they were not only under British Control, but they were the responsibility of the British Government. Now as British citizens, It was Britain's responsibility to see that were protected and cared for.
COMMENT: This is what God wants to do in the Earth, with his born again subjects. God has sent Jesus from the heavenly kingdom, to earth to establish God’s kingdom in the earth. And those who come into the kingdom are under God’s provision and protection.
(Matt 6:31-33) 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
(Mark 4:30-32) 30 And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it? 31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth: 32 But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.
COMMENT: God said that the end would come when the kingdom was preached in all the world. From the beginning God wanted man to rule the earth under his kingship. Mankind rebelled, and there are still people who want to rebel against God’s kingship. And when mankind rebels against God’s kingship they make a religion.
(Mark 10:15) Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child,
he shall not enter therein.
COMMENT: To get into God’s kingdom, we must come to God as a little child would there father. We must come with complete dependence on on Him, for everything, with child like faith.
(Matt 6:9-10) 9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
