LOVE IS THE NEW COMMANDMENT (39)/ THE KINGDOM OF GOD (7)

This Sunday service Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached another sermon in the series titled ‘Love is The New Commandment’. Her main scriptures were taken from the books of Romans 14:16-18; John 11:1-48;

THE AGAPE LOVE OF GOD

Love is the greatest word in the Bible. In Greek, there are three words for love. Eros refers to sexual love. Philio refers to friendly attachment. Agape means unconditional sacrificial love. This Love is not just a feeling. It is the highest, most pure form of love, born not out of natural attraction or obligation, but a willful choice and a command to be obeyed.  It is the unselfish, pure, powerful, and sacrificial love that desires the best in another person. This love is best expressed as the Fatherly Love of God for humanity. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (Jn 3:16). This is the Gospel: God the Father sent God the Son to become a Man and die on behalf of sinners. The unbelievers may be religious, but they do not know this agape love. Love is a gift given only to the children of God, who are saved by grace and thru faith in Christ. “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (Jn15:13). Because we are born sinners, agape love does not come naturally to us. Agape love requires faithfulness, commitment, courage, strength, wisdom, faith, and sacrifice. Agape love is the magnet God uses to attract the world to Jesus! It was so in the early church, and during all the revivals in the history of the Church! Selah!

THE KINGDOM OF GOD

“For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom 14:17).

The Kingdom of God is the realm, rule, and reign of God, where Jesus Christ is King, advancing on earth, by the power of God’s Word and the Holy Spirit, bringing righteousness, peace, joy, healing, freedom, prosperity, and deliverance, by driving away the forces of darkness. Jesus said: “But if I drive out the demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has already come upon you” (Lk 11:20; AMP). As a citizen of heaven, you must experience deliverance, victory upon victory in every area of your life! Amen!  God’s Kingdom is the realm of God Himself, filled with truth, love, holiness, righteousness, power, grace, and Glory!  It points to spiritual things, to eternal life, to the atmosphere of heaven, to the worship there, and to the authority of God. The Kingdom of God has three basic attributes: Righteousness, peace, and joy, in the Holy Spirit! The concept of the Kingdom has almost been lost. Most people do not understand the authority of the King in his domain, and the blessings of the subjects. This is because most countries have other types of government: democracy, communism, or dictatorship. God invented the concept of Kingdom so that it is easier for us understand His plan and purpose for men.

“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Gen 1:26-28). God created the human beings to populate the earth. He created them male and female. He created them in His own image and likeness. God gave them ‘dominion’ over all the animals. The word ‘dominion’ is a Kingdom Word. It means to have sovereign authority, absolute power to rule, to control or master another. Even at creation, before sin entered, God’s plan and purpose for them was to be kings in their domain, to be royal priesthood in Christ. Man was to rule and reign over all the animals, but not over one another. When Adam sinned, he lost a Kingdom. Jesus came to live and die, to re-establish God’s Kingdom on earth. He is now the King of kings! What makes the Kingdom of God different from any other kingdom, is that all its citizens (subjects) are the relatives of the King, and they are all kings themselves! What a privilege to be the royal priesthood in Christ!!! Glory!

The word ‘Kingdom’ comes from two words: King and Domain. God has always been God. Then God created the spiritual (invisible) world and the physical world (man). He did it for His own pleasure and because He is a Creator. Once God created His domain, He became King over His domain. Let us start with what the Kingdom of God is not. The Apostle Paul says that it is not ‘eating and drinking’. It is not ‘meat and drink’ (KJ). It is not made from material things, man-made, temporal, or perishable items. It is not a collection of some little things that you buy with money. We often forget the littleness of this material world and the amazing majesty of the eternal God. We forget that all things do not have the same power or value. For example, Jesus said that life is more valuable than food and the body is more than the clothes that cover it. “Therefore, I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” (Matt 6:25). To worry about food and dress, and to ignore your life, is foolish. For unbelievers, food, and clothes are more important than their souls. Here you see that the doctrine of the Kingdom of God is not a matter of indifference. The Kingdom of God is not just a little religious behavior, something small, narrow, and negative. It is a grand concept, fit for the King of kings to rule and to reign. The Holy Spirit must give you the revelation! Selah!

JESUS IS THE KING OF KINGS

Immediately after Jesus was baptized in the river Jordan, He started preaching. “From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt 4:17). This is the first royal command: Repent! Why? Because the Kingdom of heaven is at hand! The words ‘at hand’ mean ‘coming close, it is near’. Jesus commands all men to repent! In Greek, the word ‘repent’ means to think again, re-consider, think differently. Repentance applies to sins or to a wrong course of action. To repent it means that you stop going the wrong way, you turn around (180 degrees) and you now move on a new path. It is a matter of re-thinking. Jesus commands this repentance in connection with the Kingdom of God. He knows that we have a wrong concept of Him as the King in His Kingdom. Until we understand God’s purpose of establishing His Kingdom on earth, and setting His Son as King, we have not repented yet. Selah!

God created Adam and Eve in His own image and likeness. He created Adam as man and as king. It was the same with Eve. Both were kings and ambassadors of heaven to earth. God gave them ‘dominion’ over His creation (Gen 1:26-28). ‘Dominion’ is a Kingdom word. They had control or dominion over all the animals God has created. The devil deceived Eve by saying that if she eats from the fruit of knowledge of good and evil, she will become ‘like God’ (Gen 3:5). But she and Adam were already ‘like God’. Her ignorance of her identity was the cause of her fall. She obeyed the serpent, the devil. Adam also disobeyed God’s command. This is how sin entered humanity. When Adam fell, he lost not only his fellowship with God, his place in the garden, but also his crown and throne as king before God. That was a major tragic loss. As a sinner, he now became ‘an ordinary man’. He sold his crown to the devil who now became ‘royalty’ on earth in Adam’s place. Our Lord Jesus recognized this and called the devil ‘the ruler or the prince of this world’. “Now judgment is upon this world [the sentence is being passed]. Now the ruler of this world (Satan) will be cast out… I will not speak with you much longer, for the ruler of the world (Satan) is coming. And he has no claim on Me [no power over Me nor anything that he can use against Me]… about judgment [the certainty of it], because the ruler of this world (Satan) has been judged and condemned” (Jn 12:31; 14:30; 16:11). It is painful to see that Jesus calls the devil ‘ruler or prince’ of this world. He deceived Adam to gain this title and position. We see that Jesus respects the fake authority of the devil. Jesus became Man to confront and defeat the ruler of this world. By His death on the Cross, Jesus exposed the devil and his wickedness. By shedding His Blood on the Cross Jesus set free the devil’s prisoners. Salvation is by grace alone, thru faith alone in Jesus Christ alone! To the glory of God alone!

The sinner is commanded to repent from submitting and loving Satan, his master and king. He must forsake his place as a citizen of the kingdom of darkness and come to the Kingdom of God, and of light. When Jesus became Man, He came as the King of His Kingdom. That was His main identity. The Angel told Mary that she will have a son who will be a king on the lineage of David. “Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son and shall call His name Jesus. 32 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. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end” (Lk 1:30-33). Mary believed that her son called Jesus will be a King whose Kingdom will never end.

When the wise men came to see baby Jesus, they did not see Him as Priest or Prophet. They saw Him as King in His domain. They asked: “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him” (Matt 2:2). They brought Him gifts fit for a King. That is why king Herod panicked and wanted Jesus dead. Jesus came to earth as the King to redeem the kingdom lost by Adam. He fought and defeated the fake evil king, Satan. “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1Jn 3:8). Jesus died on behalf of sinners. He took from the devil the keys of life and death. He also took from the devil the throne, crown, and scepter he stole from Adam. Lesson: Once you become born again, your soul is eternally saved.  You also take your position as king and priest unto God. This redemption of our souls and our royal identity in Christ was paid with the Blood of Jesus. King Jesus died to save the other kings. This is the greatest manifestation of Agape Love!

This is the revelation given to Apostle John: “John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen” (Rev 1:4-6). Glory!

Lesson: Because we are selfish, we tend to focus too much on the ministry of Jesus as OUR Savior. We forget that our Savior is not an ordinary Man. He is the King of His Kingdom. Once saved by Jesus, we must bow before Him! Salvation leads to worship! If not, you are not saved! Selah!

THE PERFECT KINGDOM OF GOD

The Kingdom of God is a unique Kingdom. Jesus Christ is the eternal King seated on His Throne. It is God’s decree to ordain and appoint His Son to be King in His domain. Men did not vote for Jesus to be king. Men can never vote to remove Jesus from His Throne. His reign is everlasting. “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom” (Ps 45:6). Hallelujah! The Kingdom of God is made of citizens who are all kings and the King’s relatives. Jesus is the King of kings. The Church is the Bride of Christ, and the center of God’s Kingdom. King Jesus takes care of all His subjects. In God’s Kingdom, in the Spirit realm, there are hospitals, police, schools, leaders, administrators, and ambassadors. The citizens have faith that their King died and rose again to save their souls, restore their identity and heal their bodies. “By your stripes we are healed!”, they proclaim! The King provides for all the needs of the citizens. “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:19). King Jesus is not an oppressor. He is a King Shepherd. “The LORD is my Shepherd [to feed, to guide and to shield me], I shall not want” (Ps 23:1; AMP). In the Kingdom all the citizens go to school. The Holy Spirit is their Teacher. King Jesus said: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (Jn 14:26).

The citizens pay tax so that the Kingdom’s work is financed on the earth. That tax is called ‘tithe’. Paying the tax is a Law in the Kingdom. It is a form of honor and worship to the King. The King rewards those who pay their taxes. “Honor the Lord with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; 10 So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine” (PV 3:9,10). The Kingdom has a prosperous economy. The Law of planting and reaping works in the Kingdom. “Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Gal 6:7). “Now [remember] this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows generously [that blessings may come to others] will also reap generously [and be blessed]” (2Cor 9:6). The Kingdom has leaders, who are the under shepherds, appointed by King Jesus. These are the leaders in the church. The Kingdom also has ambassadors who proclaim to other nations the glory of their King. “Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God” (2 Cor 5:20). By pushing away the forces of darkness, the borders of the Kingdom increase every day. “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this” (Isa 9:6,7). Glory to the King of kings!

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DEMOCRACY AND MONARCHY

King Jesus commanded that we should “Repent!” in our mindset about His Kingdom. Most people today live in democratic countries. That is why it is hard for them to imagine God’s Kingdom. We need to repent from our understanding of Jesus as King in His domain.  

*In a democratic country the people vote and choose their rulers through elections. In a monarchy the king (or the queen) is installed when his (her) father (mother queen) dies. The people do not vote for their king. The pattern of ‘democracy’ was invented by the Greek Philosophers. In Greek, the word ‘democracy’ means ‘the rule of the people’. The word ‘monarchy’ means ‘alone’ or ‘one ruler’.

In a democracy, the laws are written in a Constitution. All the leaders and all the people must submit to the Constitution. In an absolute Monarchy, there is no constitution. The word of the King is the law in that country. In a democracy, the people have the right to free speech. They can criticize their president or their leaders. They can ask that laws should be amended. The leaders are accountable to the people who voted them into their positions. In a monarchy, the people do not have the right to criticize the king. The king is above the law. In a democracy, civil rights, equal opportunities concerning jobs and other social benefits regardless of race or religion are granted by the state. In a monarchy, civil rights are not granted to the people. There is no freedom of speech or religion. What the King wants, that is what everyone does. The King can discriminate against people. He gives gifts and rewards to whom He pleases. The people cannot complain. For now, Democracy is regarded are the most favored type of government. There are about 100 democratic countries in the world. For example, USA, France, India, Nigeria are democratic countries. Because of the lack of freedom of speech, monarchy is not liked by most people in the world. There are 43 sovereign states in the world that have a king (or queen) as head of state. Among them are The United Kingdom, Saudia Arabia, United Emirates, Thailand, Jordan and others. For example, in Thailand, whoever, insults or threatens the King, the Queen, or the Heir-apparent, shall be punished with imprisonment of three to fifteen years!

Jesus said that we must repent from the mindset of democracy to understand the value, authority, and power of the Kingdom of God. This repentance is not an easy process. At the Cross, the wisdom of men proved to be foolishness. “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” 20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Cor 1:18-25). May our eyes be open to see the King in His beauty, power and glory! Amen!

KING JESUS IS THE MIRACLE PROVIDER 

If you study the life of King Jesus, you discover that He did many miracles. He healed and provided for the needs of many people. His miracles are a sign that the Kingdom of God is supernatural. Faith in the God of miracles is part of the Kingdom mindset.

These are some of the characteristics that we observe as King Jesus did miracles when He was on earth: Most of the miracles were done as a response to His compassion, care and love for needy people. He acted as Shepherd to His sheep. They are ‘mercy-miracles’. The miracles were done to ordinary people. He never did a miracle to help Himself. He never did any miracle before He entered His public ministry. For 30 years, living with His parents, He did not perform miracles. He never did miracles to attract attention to Himself or to attract followers. He refused to do miracles when He saw unbelief in the hearts of men. He did not heal every sick person. He was always led by the will of the Father and by the Holy Spirit. He appreciated genuine faith in people. He granted their request based on their faith. Many took His miracles for granted. They did not humble themselves and were not grateful to Him. He was creative when performing miracles. He could use physical means. But most of the time, the miracles were done by His Word and by His Will. All the miracles were done to the glory of God. His miracles prove that He is Lord and King overall, over the natural and spiritual realm. Praise the Lord!

WHEN LOVE IS SICK (Jn 11:1-48)

This is one of the greatest Agape Love stories. It happened about one month before Jesus went to the Cross. King Jesus was followed by many people. Each one desired a miracle or a gift. There was a simple house in Bethany, a small village near Jerusalem. Together with His disciples, Jesus would often go there to rest and have fellowship. It was the house of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. They were siblings. They were the only family who allowed Jesus to stay without asking anything from Him. They were truly His friends. Martha was the hardworking practical host. Mary was the spiritual prophetic one. Lazarus, the younger brother, was the quiet one. “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus”. From this sentence we see that Jesus loved each one personally. Lesson: Jesus related to each one of us in a particular unique way. Lazarus got seriously sick. The sisters sent a message to Jesus saying: “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick”. They did not command Him to come. They only told Jesus of their need. Their brother was sick. Agape Love does not need to talk too much. A little signal from the heart, a whisper from the spirit is enough. Love understands. But Jesus delayed His coming. That was the hardest thing to explain or bear. Jesus is their best friend, and He loves them. But Love does not always protect from heart ache. Eventually, Jesus came. He met the people weeping and morning. Lazarus was dead for four days. The Jews thought that a resurrection miracle can happen in maximum three days after death. From the fourth day, they believe that the body is decomposed and there is ‘a stench’ of death. Jesus revealed Himself to Martha and Mary as the Resurrection and the Life. Then, He wept. He went to the grave and called Lazarus forth. Lazarus came out alive. Here you see Jesus as Man and God. He wept as a man and called the dead to life as God. Worship the Lord!!!