Oh say, friend, it gives me great joy to welcome you to another program In Search of the Lord's Way. Ours is a program dedicated to searching the Scriptures for the Lord’s way to become a Christian and to live this life the Lord’s way. We pray we’ll both be blessed by our study together.
In the long ago one of God's great prophets admonished the people, "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call upon Him while He is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” That is the reading of Isaiah chapter 55, verses 7 through 9. If we are really serious about a better life and a better society, we might try the Lord's way, don’t you think? We’ve been focusing on Jesus Christ in these programs. We have studied about “The Death of Christ, and of course, His burial. Then, we had a program about “The Resurrection of Christ;” and another about “The Ascension of Christ-- and well, other good-news messages about Him. And so today we continue those thoughts with this message about “The Kingdom of Christ.”
Did I say, “We’re glad you have joined us today?” Well, we are, and if you think you might need or want a printed copy, or a CD or an audio cassette tape of this message, you may have it absolutely free. This program is not a money-making scheme; it’s a ministry of some churches of Christ in the area of this station. So, you don’t have to send money. Just send us your request now. Our address is In Search of the Lord's Way, P.O. Box 371, Edmond, OK 73083. Our e-mail address is searchtv@searchtv.org, or our e-mail is searchtv.org. Our toll-free telephone number is 1-800-321-8633. Ken Helterbrand’s going to lead us now as we sing, and I’ll be back for Bible reading and prayer.
Our Bible reading today consists of two short verses from the first chapter of the gospel according to Mark-- verses 14 and 15. “Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” Now let us go to God in prayer. Holy Father, we are so thankful to You for this precious promise that we have of Jesus, that even then the gospel of the kingdom was that the kingdom is at hand. And we pray, Father, that as Jesus accomplished His will on the earth, that we can see that and we can accomplish our purpose in the kingdom today. In Jesus’ lovely name, we pray. Amen!
To the careful Bible student, it's obvious from our Lord’s teaching that from the beginning He considered it to be a vital part of His earthly ministry to establish a universal kingdom and to reign over it. For centuries the great prophets of the Old Testament era had foretold the coming of the Messiah who would do so, and He would reign over it as King. So, when Jesus laid claim to being the Messiah, the establishment of the world community of believers over which He would reign became an absolute necessity. To deny that, that was His intent and purpose, or to deny that He did it, would be to disclaim Him as the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Our Scripture text declares this aspect of his ministry to be a crucial point of the gospel He preached. "Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel (or the good news) of the kingdom." Matthew indicates that right soon after His baptism and wilderness temptation in Judea, Jesus returned to Galilee where He went about "teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel (or the good news) of the kingdom" (Matthew chapter 4, verses 17 and 23). Luke gives it the same treatment. He says, "He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God” (Luke 8 and 1). What did Jesus preach about the kingdom that made it such a glad message or good news?
Well, our text says, "After that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the good news." For centuries the Jews had been reading their Scriptures and eagerly and anxiously looking forward to the coming of the Messiah who would establish the kingdom of God among them and rule over them forever. Now comes Jesus saying, "The time is fulfilled." Can you imagine the excitement that kind of preaching would generate among them? Their prophecies were going to be fulfilled before their very eyes. Well, generations of their foreparents had looked for, lived for, even died for what they were going to be privileged to see and to experience! God's plan for redemption was to occur in their very own generation! And to enforce his promise, He added, "The kingdom of God is at hand." The time is approaching!
On another occasion He said to them, "I tell you the truth." Well, Jesus always told the truth. He is the very embodiment of truth. He is the truth incarnate. So why does He say, "I tell you truly?" May I say, because He wants to emphasize what He is about to say as clear, plain, unmistakable, unadulterated truth; and that is what He is saying. He doesn't want us to miss it. He must have known that there would be some who would be hard to convince. What is that truth? Here it is, my friend, listen: "...there are some standing here (some of them who were hearing Him speak at the time) who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:27). He said some of them, some of them who were standing there, were going to live and see the kingdom of God established! That is what He said! Did it happen?
Some say, "No, it didn't happen; Christ's plan was thwarted when the Jews crucified him, and He postponed the establishment of his kingdom until his return-- well not the next time, but the third time." They tell us that when He comes again, He will rapture the kingdom out of this world to rescue them from the great tribulation of seven years, after which He will come again and establish His kingdom and reign for a thousand years. But, it isn't so. Some of those people of the first century did live to see the kingdom in existence and to be a part of it. The Holy Spirit said to the church at Colossae-- these were Christians there in that first century-- that God had already delivered these people from the power of darkness and conveyed or transferred or translated them into the kingdom of the Son of His love (Colossians 1:13). Hebrews 12:28 says, we have received a kingdom which cannot be shaken (or moved). And, the apostle John exiled on the lonely isle of Patmos said he was in the kingdom on the Lord's Day (Revelation 1:9). That is good news to you and me, my friend, because when we become Christians, we too, are delivered from the reign of darkness and translated into the reign of God's dear Son. Right now!
Many people who teach a future reign of Jesus in Jerusalem look to Revelation as proof of it. But every time the kingdom is mentioned in Revelation, it is mentioned as presently in existence. For example: Revelation chapter 1, verses 4 through 6 says, "John to the seven churches that are in Asia . . . To him who loves us and washed us from our sins by his blood, and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to God." Just as surely as Christians are now priests-- a royal priesthood as Peter says in 1 Peter 2 and 9, the saved is presently the kingdom of Christ. The same is true of Revelation 5:9 and10; Revelation 11 and 15; and 12 and 10. They show the triumph of the kingdom of God over the kingdoms of the world because of the Lamb and the testimony of Christ, pointing back to the cross and the resurrection of Christ, at which time all authority was given to Him in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18; Acts chapter 2, verses 33 through 36). Christ is (present tense) “King of Kings and Lord of Lords" (Revelation 17:14 and 19:16). So, the gospel is called the good news of the kingdom because it's a reality, not a dream, not a fantasy, or even a promise of God for future generations, but for us today!
Well, it’s a good news message, too, that the kingdom of Christ is not a physical, political entity bounded by seas and rivers and mountain ranges. It isn’t even a universal political entity. It is a spiritual kingdom, world-wide in its scope. When Jesus was brought before Pilate, the governor asked Him, "Are you the King of the Jews? Jesus asked Him, Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me? Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done? Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here. Well, Pilate then said to Him, Are you a king then? Jesus answered, you say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world...” In other words, if the kingdom of Christ, that Christ came to reign over was to be the kind that the Jews expected-- and the kind that multitudes today still expect-- a political, economic system with a police force and standing armies-- and all that-- Pilate would have had a fight on his hand. "My servants would fight," He said, and no doubt the Son of God would have prevailed, too. But, it didn't happen that way and Jesus assured Pilate that He was no challenge to Caesar in that regard.
"The kingdom of Christ is…righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17). It’s a spiritual kingdom then. It is a kingdom of righteousness and peace and joy; not material possessions, not world domination. If Jesus had come for that, He could have had it. The devil took him up into a high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them. And he said to Him, "All these things will I give you, if you fall down and worship me" (Matthew 4, verses 8 and 9). And, there is no doubt about it; Satan could have delivered on that promise. Jesus knew there would always be people who would hunger and thirst after righteousness, and in His kingdom, they shall be filled. He said that (Matthew 5 and 6), because that is what it’s all about, friend. That is the kingdom of Christ. Without the influence of Christ’s kingdom, this would be a world uninhabitable.
The kingdom of Christ mentioned in Hebrews 12:28 says, "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.” Hundreds of years earlier Daniel interpreted a dream for old King Nebuchadnezzar in which the king saw a vision of an image whose head was gold, his breast and his arms silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, and his legs of iron, and his feet part of iron and part of clay. Then, Daniel said these represent four (and he specifically said four) consecutive world empires. Historically they were Babylon, followed by Persia, then the Macedonians, and the fourth was Rome. And he said, "In the days of these kings (that would be the Roman 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" (Daniel 2:44). To make sure there is no misunderstanding the Holy Spirit pinpoints the time of all of that in Luke chapter 3, verse 1. It’s the fifteenth year of the reign of the Roman Emperor Tiberius Caesar that John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness and saying, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand." Then He promised Mary, "You will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:31 through 33).
Well, empires may rise and collapse. Thrones may topple and fall. But the kingdom of Christ is unshakable and unmovable. It isn't here today and gone tomorrow. It will endure forever, friend. In a world of change and uncertainties, it's great to be a citizen of the unshakable kingdom of God. When Jesus comes He is going to raise the dead. He will then deliver that kingdom to God the Father; and God will become all and all. No, our Lord will not come to establish a kingdom here on the earth when He comes, but to take it to heaven. After proving the resurrection of the dead in the early verses of 1 Corinthians 15, Paul confidently affirms, "Now is Christ risen from the dead; He has become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by Man came also the resurrection of the dead. As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. Then comes the end, (not seven years of tribulation followed by a thousand year reign, then the end, but then comes the end) when He delivers up the kingdom to God, even the Father" (verses 20 through 24). Let us pray. Thank You, Lord, for the kingdom over which Jesus Christ is King today; and for the blessed privilege of hearing the gospel of the kingdom and believing it and being a part of it. In the name of Christ, thank You, Lord. Amen!
Please remember, friend: (1) the kingdom which Christ came to establish and reign over is a present day reality. (2) He said it Himself: it is not of this world. It is a kingdom of righteousness and peace and joy. It is a spiritual reign. (3) It’s a permanent rule; it will not be overthrown. And, (4) when Jesus comes, it will be ushered into a state of even greater glory. My friend are you a citizen of that kingdom? Nicodemus learned that citizenship in the kingdom of Christ is not by natural birth. Jesus explained to him that unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3). Nicodemus couldn’t understand that. So, Jesus explained it in verse five: “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” My friend, “water” in that verse, is not a reference to a person’s natural birth as you might have heard. It’s a reference to baptism in water. Make no mistake about it; a person must be born again of water and the spirit to enter the eternal kingdom of Christ (John 3:1 to 7). He must believe in Christ, not just give mental assent to his Deity, but lovingly and obediently put his trust in him by being baptized in water. And having confessed Him, and he has made a commitment to Jesus, to follow him in that confession all the days of his life-- until death. If you haven't done that, would you do it today? If we may assist you, give us a call: 1-800-321-8633
We are grateful to you for joining in our study today. You are the important part of this ministry. We say it often, and we mean it every time. If it were not for you, well, we wouldn't be here every week. Oh say! We would like very much to have you worship with us in a church of Christ somewhere near you very soon. If we may assist you in locating a congregation in this area, please use our toll-free telephone number that we will give you again in a moment and call us. It has been suggested that I urge churches of Christ in the area where these programs are seen to announce on the church page of their local newspaper their association with the In Search of the Lord's Way program and give the location of their place of worship and the times of their worship assemblies. That will be a help to people who are looking; I'm sure it will. And if we can help you do that, we will be happy to hear from you.
Churches of Christ are not striving to be "just another denomination." We are not even trying to be the only right denomination, friend; we're not trying to be a denomination at all. It is our purpose to be the church that you read about in your New Testament-- in faith-- in doctrine-- in worship-- in organization-- in personal life-- well, in every way. We don't have a formal, written catechism, or confession of faith other than the word of God. That seems a bit strange to some people, but it is welcome news to others; and if it's so with you, why not call us to learn more about it? If you would like an audio cassette tape of today's program titled, The Kingdom of Christ, simply write us: In Search of the Lord's Way, P.O. Box 371 Edmond, OK 73083. By internet it's www.searchtv.org; or by e-mail it is searchtv@searchtv.org. Be sure to tell us whether you want the cassette tape, a CD or the printed copy. And, it's free, so you won't need to send money. Our toll free telephone number is 1-800-321-8633. And we plan to be back next week with another gospel message, another message about life in Jesus Christ and how it is the best thing that has ever been offered to the family of man. We hope you will be with us, too. God bless you. We love you.
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