The Nature of the Kingdom I. Introduction A. What is it that really separates Christianity from other religions? 1. Other religions have books 2. Other religions have teachers 3. But no other religion has the concept of the spiritual Kingdom! B. The truly unique feature of Christianity is the idea of the spiritual kingdom 1. Other religions all focus on the here and now! 2. Conquest, meditation, karma, etc. 3. Only Christianity posits a kingdom that is spiritual, looking forward to the age to come C. Unfortunately, the nature of the Kingdom has been misunderstood or confused by many 1. Some groups believe in the church having earthly and spiritual power 2. Hence, "Christian empires" 3. Other groups believe that the Kingdom has not yet come 4. Expect some kind of earthly Kingdom with Jesus as its Head D. What is the nature of the Kingdom? 1. What is this Kingdom concerning which Jesus speaks? 2. Who is in it? 3. When does it exist, and how? E. Let us consider the matter from the Scriptures II. The Bible on the Kingdom A. Matthew 4:8-10 1. Satan would have given Jesus the world...but He is to serve His Father 2. The kingdoms of the world in their glory is not for Him B. John 6:15 1. If Jesus' purpose was to be a physical king, this was His chance 2. Did He take it? No; He ran far away 3. This makes it hard to believe that Jesus wants to set up an earthly kingdom! C. Luke 17:20-21 1. The Kingdom is in your midst! 2. What does this mean? 3. The Kingdom has much to do with Jesus and His work! 4. It is in your midst, not coming with signs to be observed! D. Matthew 20:20-28 1. The disciples did not understand this (cf. Acts 1:6) 2. Neither did the Jews, and they still do not 3. Apparently neither do those in premillennialism! E. Matthew 22:15-22 1. The Kingdom is separated from Caesar 2. Give to each what it is due F. John 18:36 1. Christ's Kingdom is not of this world! 2. If it is not of the world, what is it? G. Colossians 1:13 1. Christ has delivered us into His Kingdom 2. It is a past, not future, event! H. Philippians 3:20 1. Our citizenship is to be in Heaven! I. Revelation 1:6 1. God has made us a Kingdom for the Son! 2. We are presently God’s Kingdom! I. The testimony of the Scriptures is clear 1. Jesus spoke regarding the Kingdom 2. It was present in a sense when He was on the earth 3. It is not of the world 4. Those who are in Christ are transferred into it—past tense J. The Kingdom is not earthly, and it is here right now! III. Those in the Kingdom A. The greatness of the Kingdom is that it is not worldly B. It is spiritual-- it is greater than any earthly kingdom! 1. Daniel 2:43-45 2. It shatters every other kingdom because it incorporates people from all kinds of places! C. Those who are in the Kingdom come from all kinds of countries and races 1. Galatians 3:27 2. Colossians 3:11 D. They are united today in their allegiance to Christ! 1. Matthew 10:34-39 2. Philippians 3:20 E. The Kingdom and the Church 1. The relationship between the Kingdom and the church has often been contentious 2. When disputing with premillennialists, it was convenient to identify the Kingdom and the church as being the same 3. Yet this is not entirely accurate 4. It is true that all who are in the church are in the Kingdom, and that is presently true also! 5. Yet there are people in the Kingdom who are not in the church 6. Hebrews 10:4-14 7. Christ's sacrifice has allowed for the sanctification of everyone-- those in former covenants as well as those under the new! 8. Therefore, all of the Old Testament saints are surely in the Kingdom, but they're not in the church! 9. The church is within the Kingdom, but the Kingdom is greater than the church! F. We can see, therefore, that the Kingdom is made up of those who are saved from both the old and new covenants, from all sorts of nationalities and races! IV. The Kingdom Against the World A. Why is it that God set up a Kingdom against the world? 1. The world is inherently sinful and hostile to God 2. 1 John 2:15-17 3. James 4:4 B. The Light and the Darkness 1. John 1:1-4/9-13 2. Light as Christ and righteousness, darkness as sin and the world 3. The light came into the world, and the darkness did not comprehend it C. Why doesn't the world understand? 1. Christ's values are opposed to the world 2. Humility vs. pride: Luke 18:14 3. Rich vs. poor-- Mark 10:23-25 4. Matthew 5:3-10: beatitudes 5. John 13:12-17/Matthew 20:26-28: servant as greater D. Summed up well in Luke 6:20-26 E. The Kingdom is against the world because the Kingdom turns the world upside down! IV. The War of the Kingdom A. Since we are part of a spiritual kingdom, we fight a spiritual war B. Ephesians 6:10-17 1. The armor of the Christian represents spiritual values 2. Defensive: faith, righteousness, truth, preaching of the Gospel, salvation 3. Offensive: the Word of God C. Seeing this, can we make a spiritual war a physical one? 1. Paul answers clearly in Ephesians 6:11—no! 2. We must use the Word of God, not a gun or a sword, to convert souls 3. We must act according to righteousness, and not evil! D. There certainly is a war going on... 1. ...but it's not an earthly war 2. ....it is not fought as men fight 3. To have the victory, we must be in Jesus Christ and do His will (1 Corinthians 15:57-58)! V. Conclusion A. We have investigated the nature of the Kingdom 1. It is spiritual, not earthly 2. It is present here and now 3. It is full of OT saints and Christians from all kinds of nationalities and races 4. It will endure forever! B. The Kingdom turns the values of the world upside down C. Let us live in ways that indicate that we are ambassadors of the Kingdom of Heaven, and do the will of God! D. Invitation/songbook