Thy Kingdom Come
Mark 1:14-15 NKJV
[14] 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 time had finally arrived. The wait for the Messiah was over.
John the Baptist introduced the World to its King!
“Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”!
John the Baptist then gets arrested for preaching about the Kingdom of God.
As John sits in a cell for speaking truth into the lives and hearts that need the Kingdom of God more than anything, Jesus says something profound. So profound that it has changed the world even to this day.
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
Repent and believe the Gospels. Turn for your sins and believe and follow what the Word of God says.
Many have pursued this for many years. Some are learning to do it now.
But why do we repent and believe?
Jesus speaks of this kingdom.
The Kingdom of God is one of the focuses of Jesus’ whole ministry.
Matthew 6:33 NKJV
[33] But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Many pastors and teachers of God’s Holy Word have surely preached about this one verse. I know for a fact I have!
Nowadays we no longer seek the Kingdom of God. We now seek to have our own kingdom built to our liking, our desire.
Yes, Jesus gives us all these amazing gifts. We find life everlasting. We find the forgiveness of sins. We have hope for eternity sealed with His Blood.
But what about this Kingdom?
We no longer seek the Kingdom of God because we don’t understand or have never understood what it is and what it means
So how important is the Kingdom of God!
It was one of the main messages of Jesus’s message.
If someone were to ask you what is the Kingdom of God, what would you say? How would you explain it? Could you explain it with confidence and clarity?
Would people be able to see thr trust and faith you have in this Kingdom?
I asked this question in service.
I got some very good answers.
Some said heaven. Some said where God lives. Others said His Kingdom is everywhere.
Not wrong answers. Good answers, but not totally complete.
So what makes up a Kingdom?
There has to be a King.
The King has to have territory.
In that territory there’s laws that are put in place by the King for His territory.
Now the King needs people to live in that land.
These people commit themselves to the King and follow the laws of the land.
In turn the King provides safety within the gates. Shelter from the storms.
He supplies the needs of the people. He cares for them in a way that none other has cared for them.
The people become loyal to not just the King but to His throne and His Kingdom.
The basic meaning of Kingdom of God is God’s reign.
The Kingdom of God is the empire where God reigns as King.
So wherever God is ‘in charge,’ that’s where his Kingdom is.
This means any person who believes the Gospels, repents and puts God first carries the Kingdom of God within them.
This why we say things like “Jesus is the King of my heart”.
Do you carry the entirety of the Kingdom of God in your heart daily, Or do you step out of the walls His protection to pursue your own?
His Kingdom governs all things.
Psalms 103:19 NKJV
[19] The Lord has established His throne in heaven, And His kingdom rules over all.
His Kingdom is an Eternal Kingdom, one that lasts forever. His Holy Throne Never to be overtaken.
The Kingdom of Heaven has power, authority and rule over every other man-made Kingdom.
God has sovereign power. He is the rule, the King.
He is unrestricted in what He does and what He can do.
The fact of the sovereignty of God is that He is the Lord over creation, because all of Creation He has created.
The word Kingdom is mentioned about 126 times in the Gospels alone.
When Jesus says that the Kingdom of God is at hand, He is saying that the Kingdom of Heaven is here and available to all, now! We can say that the Reign of God is here!
The Hope is here. The King of Glory, Jesus Christ of Nazareth is here!
He now needs people to come into His Kingdom. And Jesus is the One to bring those back to the Kingdom that was from the beginning of time.
Seek first the Kingdom of God.
Seek to return to the only true Kingdom! Stop following the Kingdoms of the World.
The Kingdom of God is at hand.
The rule of God!
The reign of God!
God’s reign is a saving reign. The kingdom of God provides an understanding of salvation, not only what we are saved from, but also what we are saved for!
We are saved from death for life.
We are saved from shame for glory.
We are saved from slavery for freedom.
We are saved from sin and for following our Savior.
We are saved from the kingdom of darkness and for the Kingdom of Light.
To be saved into God’s kingdom is to take and embrace God’s rule over every aspect of life!
That is Seeking First The Kingdom of God!
It is so much more than just “asking Jesus into your heart.” It means a new life, a new identity, and a new residence in a new kingdom,an everlasting Kingdom!
A perfect Kingdom that God has made.
As believers of Christ, we are to worship Him as Lord. We are to live out His teaching and live our whole lives in anticipation of His return.
So how do we get into this Kingdom of Heaven?
Jesus says it all!
Repent and believe in the Gospels!
Is that all?
Once we have the Kingdom of God in our hearts and the King rules in our hearts and over our bodies and minds there is a command from the King.
Bring more into His Kingdom.
So now we become sowers of the Seed of the Gospel. The Gospels will point them to this King. And when that heart submits themselves to the King and His Kingdom a permanent residence is the offer!
When we take on the role of the sower of God’s Word we come into partnership with Him. We are granted the privilege to the bearers of Good News.
That’s when we become Ambassadors to the Kingdom of Heaven!
We become the hands and feet for the sake of the Kingdom!
We do it for the One that sits on the Throne of the Kingdom, Jesus Christ of Nazareth! We serve our King out of love and devotion because He has shown us that same love and devotion!
I urge you today to be an active member of the Kingdom!
Has The King of Glory taken you into His rest and safety?
Does He shelter and protect you from the enemies outside of His Holy Gates?
Is your permanent residence within His gates?
Then let us go in the name of the King and His Kingdom!
Let us go and sow the Seeds of Hope, of Life,of Salvation, of mercy, goodness and kindness.
Because His Kingdom is at hand!
“Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven “!
Amen!
Pastor Ed
