The Nature of the Kingdom I. Prayer II. Introduction A. Revelation 1:5-6 1. God has made us a kingdom for Christ 2. A major theme in Jesus' preaching and teaching (cf. Matthew 4:17, 23) B. 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. Many expect some kind of earthly Kingdom with Jesus as its Head C. 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? D. Let us consider the matter from the Scriptures III. The Bible on the Kingdom A. We do well to first consider what a Kingdom is 1. In short: that over which a king reigns 2. Generally spoken of in terms of land (e.g. United Kingdom, Kingdom of Thailand) 3. Kingdom of God in Christ, therefore, that over which God reigns in Christ, or whatever subjects itself to God in Christ B. 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 C. 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! D. 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! E. Matthew 20:20-28 1. A powerful thesis regarding Jesus' Kingdom: it does not operate as the world does 2. Jesus set forth a contradiction in terms to make the point: in His Kingdom greatness means nothing, for it is about love in humility! E. Matthew 22:15-22 1. The Kingdom is separated from Caesar 2. Give to God what is God's F. John 18:36 1. Christ's Kingdom is not from this world! 2. Such does not mean Jesus' Kingdom has nothing to do with the world; it is just not based in it, or of it G. Colossians 1:13 1. Christ has delivered us into His Kingdom 2. It is a past, not future, event! H. Philippians 3:20-21 1. Our citizenship is to be in Heaven! 2. We await a Savior who will raise us as He has been raised I. The testimony of the Scriptures is consistent 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! IV. Those in the Kingdom A. The greatness of the Kingdom is that it is not worldly B. Jesus' Kingdom transcends the kingdoms of the world 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! V. Jesus' Kingdom Against the Powers A. Ephesians 6:10-18 1. The world is inherently sinful and hostile to God because it remains in subjection under the Evil One and his forces 2. The armor of the Christian represents spiritual values 3. Defensive: faith, righteousness, truth, preaching of the Gospel, salvation 4. Offensive: the Word of God B. Seeing this, can we make a spiritual war a physical one? 1. Paul answers clearly in Ephesians 6:11-12: 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)! E. The strength of the powers comes from submission to the ways of darkness and evil 1. Jesus has defeated the powers and principalities, but people still empower them in their fear and anxiety (Colossians 2:15, Hebrews 2:14-15) 2. John 1:1-4/9-13: 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 4. Thus, James 4:4 and 1 John 2:15-17: friendship with the world and the ways of the Evil One is enmity toward God F. To this end we must live as ambassadors of Jesus' Kingdom and bring His Lordship to bear in the world VI. Kingdom Living A. Christians do well to use the prism of the Kingdom as a means by which to understand how they are to live and relate to others 1. Jesus' Kingdom is that over which Jesus reigns as Lord 2. We are to serve Jesus as Lord (Romans 12:11) 3. Thus, we are to embody the reign of Jesus; people ought to see what Jesus' Kingdom looks like by seeing how we act and live B. 2 Corinthians 5:20: Paul spoke to the Corinthian Christians as if ambassadors on behalf of Christ, entreating them to be reconciled to God C. The metaphor of ambassadorship can be helpful for us in understanding our role in Jesus' Kingdom 1. Ambassadors are designated representatives of one country living in another, working to provide material assistance for fellow countrymen and advancing the interests of the mother nation in the foreign land 2. As Christians we must recognize ourselves primarily as citizens of the Kingdom of God in Christ (Philippians 3:20); we are as sojourners and exiles in the world (1 Peter 1:17, 2:11) 3. We are to do good to all men, especially those of the household of faith (Galatians 6:10) 4. Above all things we must be diligent to embody Jesus to the world, thus bringing the values of the Kingdom of Jesus to bear on the world in which we live (Romans 8:29, 12:1-2) D. Thus we ought to bring the Lordship of Jesus to bear in our relationships, our posture to the state, our words, and what we say and do, and thus to advance the interests of Jesus in His Kingdom! 1. We should crown Jesus as Lord of our relationships, and His values should define them (e.g. Ephesians 5:22-6:9) 2. We must live as obedient servants to God and submit to the purposes of the state which do not conflict with the service we grant to God (Acts 5:29, 1 Peter 2:11-17) 3. People ought to see the fruit of the Kingdom in our lives, and hear the message of Jesus from our lips (John 15:1-11) E. To focus on the Kingdom is to understand the work and importance of the church, yet to remember that there is much more to serving Christ than assembling with the saints! VII. Conclusion A. We have investigated the nature of the Kingdom 1. It transcends the ways of the world 2. It is present here and now 3. It is full of the people of God from all kinds of nationalities and races 4. It will endure forever! B. The Kingdom turns the values of the world upside down, and we should live as ambassadors of the Kingdom in a lost and dying world C. Let us live in ways that indicate that we are ambassadors of the Kingdom of God in Christ, and do the will of God! D. Invitation Scripture, Meditation, and Application 1: And saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:15). Jesus spoke much and often regarding the Kingdom of God. A kingdom is that over which a king reigns. On earth we tend to think of it in terms of land and territory. For Jesus, the Kingdom would be all that submitted to the reign of God in Christ. May we submit to Jesus as Lord and participate in His Kingdom! 2: 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" (John 18:36). Jesus declared His Kingdom was not from this world. Such did not mean His Kingdom had no bearing on the world; far from it. It meant Jesus would reign as Lord of lords and King of kings over a Kingdom that transcended physical nations. Jesus' Kingdom does not function like earthly realms, and no earthly realm can manifest Jesus' Kingdom. May we serve the Lord Jesus in His Kingdom and find eternal life in Him! 3: Who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love (Colossians 1:13). The Kingdom of God in Christ has not come in its fullness; the last enemy, death, has yet to be conquered, and we do not share in the resurrection of life just yet. But the Kingdom of God in Christ has come: when we submit to the purposes of God in Christ according to the Gospel, we are made a part of Jesus' Kingdom. May we participate in Jesus' Kingdom to the glory of God and be saved! 4: We are ambassadors therefore on behalf of Christ, as though God were entreating by us: we beseech you on behalf of Christ, be ye reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:20). Christians do well to cultivate a Kingdom mentality. As Christians we are to submit to the lordship of Jesus in all things, and bring the lordship of Jesus to bear on our relationships, culture, society, and world. We serve as kind of ambassadors, in word and deed embodying Jesus and His purposes, and crying out for all to be reconciled to God in Christ so the Kingdom may advance and prosper. Jesus' Kingdom work is much more than assembling with the saints on a Sunday; may we fully dedicate and devote ourselves to advancing the Kingdom of Christ, and share in life in Him!