27th Mar 26 | 16:08
Studies by Book
01 Acts 01 01-05 THE PROMISE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT 08 Acts 01 03 Teaching about the kingdom of God
📖 Acts 01:01-05
08 – 11Jun2022 – *Teaching about the kingdom of God* - _Acts 01:01-05_ - THE PROMISE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT - Bible reading: _Mark 1:14-15_
“Thank You, Lord Jesus, that You are inviting us to become citizens and full beneficiaries of Your kingdom. In Your kingdom, there are privileges and responsibilities, in which, when we participate, our lives overflow with joy. Lord, we are ashamed that we have not sought for Your kingdom. Have mercy on us, O God! In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.”
_Acts 1:3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and *speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God*._
Throughout His ministry, the Lord taught about the kingdom of God.
Let us have an overview of the kingdom of God.
*The kingdom of God*
_Daniel 2:44-45 And in the days of these kings *the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever*. (45) Inasmuch as you saw that *the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold—the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure*."_
Daniel, is telling us that Jesus will set up His kingdom and His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. Daniel goes on to tell us that the dream is certain and its interpretation, sure.
How foolish it is, after knowing the certainty of His kingdom, to trade off the kingdom of Jesus for the kingdoms of this world.
We think that the kingdoms of the world will give us our safety, security, wellbeing, comfort and happiness in life. We are so smart to chase the kingdoms of the world and simultaneously, have the kingdom of Jesus as well. This is the great tragedy into which so many children of God have fallen.
John the Baptist came as a forerunner to Jesus and this was his message.
_Matthew 3:1-2 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, (2) and saying, "*Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand*!"_
As John introduced Jesus, he introduced the purpose of Jesus, which was to inaugurate His kingdom.
_Mark 1:14-15 Now after John was put in prison, *Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, (15) and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel*."_
The prerequisite, to come into the kingdom of Jesus, is to turn away from every other kingdom and submit to His lordship.
We rejected the rule of God over us and we went our own way. This was our sin and so to repent, we seek His forgiveness, that we went our own way, but now we turn and surrender and submit to His rule over us.
(Going our own way, we came into the clutches of the devil. So, when we repent, we are also rejecting the rule of the devil over us)
*Our will must be surrendered to the will of Jesus. If this is not happening in us, then, we do not belong to His kingdom*.
*_Matthew 9:35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people._*
In the kingdom of Jesus, there is fullness of life.
_Luke 4:43-44 but He said to them, "*I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent*." (44) And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee._
We consider the cross to be the purpose of Jesus to have come into the world. This is correct but as we come to the cross of Jesus and receive by faith all that He has provided for us, we are entering into His kingdom. *Therefore, the cross of Jesus Christ was necessary for us to enter into His kingdom*.
Throughout His time on earth, the Lord taught about His kingdom. The Sermon on the mount, which is in _Matthew 5-7_, is entirely about life in the kingdom of God. Throughout the Gospel of Matthew, we have such a large volume of teaching about the kingdom of heaven or kingdom of God. Matthew chapters 13, 18, 20, 22 and 25 are all about the kingdom of God.
We cannot give an excuse saying that we do not understand the kingdom of God because Jesus has given us extensive teaching about His kingdom.
Not only did Jesus preach and teach about His kingdom, but He also trained and sent out the disciples to do the same.
*_Matthew 10:7 And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'_*
When we consider the end of this age, it is the matter of the kingdom of Jesus that becomes pivotal.
*_Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come._*
People must make a choice to reject every other kingdom and come into the kingdom of Jesus.
*_Colossians 1:13-14 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, (14) in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins._*
Redemption and forgiveness of sin are a part of the kingdom experience.
*My surrender*
```“Jesus, I surrender and submit to Your lordship over me.”```