LOVE IS THE NEW COMMANDMENT (40)/ THE KINGDOM OF GOD (8)

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; Col 1:13, 14; AMP; Matthew 18:1-5; Luke 18:15-17; 1Sam 3:1-21;

THE AGAPE LOVE OF GOD

Love is the greatest word in the Bible. 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). 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!

TRANSFERRED UNTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD

“For He has rescued us and has drawn us to Himself from the dominion of darkness and has transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption [because of His sacrifice, resulting in] the forgiveness of our sins [and the cancellation of sins’ penalty]” (Col 1:13, 14; AMP).

All believers in Christ are ‘rescued’

 and ‘transferred’ (or ‘translated’) people. In Greek, the word ‘rescued’ means to deliver from danger or destruction; to drag away a victim from fire or from lion’s mouth. The word ‘transferred’ means to translate, to carry away from one place to another, to relocate. It is a picture of refugees who ran from war zones and were given new land to settle. We are not just saved from the prison of sin but given a new home in the land of liberty. These two actions are different, but they go together. Jesus saved us from the ghettos of the world and gave us a home in His Kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy. Now, our Savior is our King. A new behavior is now expected from us. All God’s children are prepared for heaven while they live on earth. This preparation is called imparted righteousness or sanctification. Once, we were slaves to the devil. We have been bought by King Jesus from the slave sin market. This purchase was made with His Blood shed on the Cross. Now, we are the willing subjects and lovers of King Jesus. We are in the Kingdom of God’s Beloved Son (or the Son of His Love, or the Son on whom His Love rests). Agape Love is the power engine for both the rescue, the settlement, and the growing in grace in the Kingdom of God. Words are not enough to praise God for this great salvation. Praise the Lord!

As believers, we have been carried away by the Lord Jesus Christ, from the power of darkness into the Kingdom of God, to receive a new identity, standing, and status before God. The power of darkness refers to the devil and the demons. The devil does not really have a kingdom. It is an illegal Kingdom. God’s judgment upon Babylon, the Prostitute, Jezebel, the so called ‘queen of the world’, is sure: “Sit in silence, and go into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans; For you shall no longer be called The Lady of Kingdoms” (Is 47:5). The powers of darkness are totally defeated at the Cross. But God allows them to still manifest for a time. They will be destroyed at the second coming of Christ. The power of darkness manifests as bondage to sin, sickness, suffering and death. As sinners, we could not

deliver ourselves from these unbreakable chains. Jesus had to die on the Cross to set us free. Glory to the Lamb upon the throne!

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1Pet 2:9). The word ‘marvelous’ means something to wonder at.

The Kingdom of God is a real Kingdom. It is the spiritual domain where God’s rule and law is obeyed and where God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ is the supreme King. A kingdom is not made of random people. Like the members of the body, all the citizens of God’s Kingdom are part of the Kingdom. They all worship and love their King. Each believer is connected directly to King Jesus and connected to the other believers. It is an unbreakable holy network. This connection is based on love, which is the first commandment in the Kingdom. All citizens gladly submit to King Jesus and to one other another. This submission is also powered by agape Love for Jesus. Love is the proof that we fear and honor God the Father. We are “submitting to one another in the fear of God” (Eph 5:21). Selah!

THE GREATEST IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD

“At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, 3 and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me” (Matt 18:1-5).

“Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called them to Him and said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. 17 Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it” (Lk 18:15-17).

King Jesus describes the character necessary to receive ‘entry visa’ into the Kingdom of God. “You must be born again!” (Jn 3:3). To be born again it means to become ‘like a child’. What is the meaning of that? Great teacher Nicodemus did not understand this word. To be ‘like a child’ describes not only a citizen of the Kingdom, but also a leader among men in that Kingdom. In the world, if you ask people, who is the greatest in a family, a community, or in a church, they will bring out the most handsome, best educated, best speaker, best dressed man among them. Remember that men look at “the outward appearance but God looks at the heart” (1Sam 16:7).

The words ‘child or children’ appear almost 2000 times in the Bible. Adam and Eve never had a childhood. Adam was made a perfect man and Eve was made a perfect woman by God. To be a parent, is a gift from God. God loves and protects all children. Ruben warned his brothers when they decided to kill Joseph. He said: “Did I not speak to you, saying, ‘Do not sin against the boy’; and you would not listen? Therefore behold, his blood is now required of us” (Gen 42:22). Jesus’ warning against pedophiles is terrifying. He said: “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matt 18:6).  Children are God’s gift and reward. “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward. 4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth” (Ps127:3,4). For the Jewish women, barrenness was seen as punishment from God. In Israel, the boys and the girls were taken care and educated by their mothers. As they grew, the girls continued to stay in the house. The mother would teach her daughters until they got married. After the boys grow a little, they will be trained by their fathers. The children grew to love their parents, especially their mothers.

Observe what King Jesus is doing: the disciples were struggling for positions of authority in the Kingdom. Each thought that he was more qualified than the others to lead. Then Jesus called a little child and ‘set him in the midst’ of the disciples. He was not a special child, well dressed, well mannered, who was the best in his class or in the synagogue. No! He was an ‘ordinary’ child, playing around. I imagine that his clothes were dirty, his fingernails not clean, his nose was running… He was just a child. Jesus says that this child is a type of the greatest citizen in His Kingdom. The disciples looked at the children as having low social significance, low value. They thought that Jesus should not waste His precious time with the children. But Jesus corrected them. He told the disciples that the children represent the citizens and the ambassadors of the Kingdom of God. What did He have in mind? What are the attributes of a child?

*First, a child is just a child. He is natural, open-minded. He has nothing to hide. He is curious. He asks questions. A child simply loves you. A child loves to dream, to imagine things. A child is creative. A child does not pretend. He is not a hypocrite, not a traitor or a seducer. He is born a sinner. That is true. A child learns to behave badly to survive in the world of sinners as he is growing up. But a little child has the innocence of mind and heart, that reminds us of God. A child is poor in spirit; therefore, theirs is the Kingdom of God.

*Children have joy. They are happy with little things. They are happy because they are not anxious about the cares of this world.

*Children have faith. They tend to trust others and become influenced by them. They are not bitter. They do not doubt any good person they meet. They trust the adults. Children are fearless. If the father or mother tells his child ‘jump into my arms’, he jumps.

*Children have hope that the future is better than the present. They came to Jesus expecting good. They were not disappointed.

*Children are humble. They know that they are little in size. Their power is limited. They know that they are vulnerable. Their hands are empty as those of a beggar. That is why Jesus can take them by hand of give them gifts.

*Children do not get tired of playing. They are a symbol of Christians who persevere. We do not get tired of praying and praising Jesus.

*Children do not discriminate. Study the behavior of people. Adults behave differently according to their culture. But all children, all over the world, behave in the same way.

*Children are teachable. A child’s character can be molded to become a good person. They desire to change for the better. Two things influence us in life. One is hereditary and the second is the environment. Between the two, the environment is stronger. Take a child from the ghetto. Train him with love and care, and he will become a good person. Many of the adopted children in Christian families prove this fact. Adults change much slower than children. A child changes faster! A child can improve his behavior!

“Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Lk 10:19). Jesus delegated His authority to His ambassadors who were like children. This is hard for us to understand. Remember that once a child becomes born again, his eyes are opened to the reality of God’s Kingdom. He can pray and worship God even better than the adults. They are filled with the same Holy Spriit. There is nothing like ‘mini’ Holy Spirit. In Christ, there is no male nor female. Also, there is no adult, no child. We are all one in Christ! Never look down on a child! Pray for him!

“When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known” (1Cor13:11,12). Children are immature in their understanding of life. Thru the study of the Bible, prayer and mentoring of the parents, they become spiritually mature. God invented marriage. God created men and women to have children. Often, the children are wiser than the adults. A child can lead his parents to the Lord. “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them” (Isa 11:6). When King Jesus entered Jerusalem, the religious men withdrew. But the children joyfully praised Him. When adults were blind, the children saw the glory in King Jesus and openly praised Him. “But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant 16 and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise’?” (Matt21:15,16). Glory to God!

Jesus did not say that we should be childish or foolish. He said we should be ‘child-like’. A childish spirit is selfish, unloving, impatient, cruel, demanding and vengeful, but a child-like spirit is kind, gentle and forgiving. God doesn’t tell us to be childish, immature men. Too many men are boys in a man’s body. They are terrible as friends, husbands (or wives). God teaches us to be like little children when we are adults. The Holy Spirit is not childish. Children lose their trust in their parents when they see adults behaving like them. Some sins hinder this desire to please Jesus, to have a child-like attitude: bitterness, anger, doubt, unforgiveness, hypocrisy, anxiety, and hardness of heart. These strongholds are common among religious people. May God deliver us! May we never lose our wonder of King Jesus!

“Old men and old women shall again sit In the streets of Jerusalem, Each one with his staff in his hand Because of great age. 5 The streets of the city Shall be full of boys and girls Playing in its streets” (Zech 8:4, 5). This is a prophetic picture of God’s Kingdom. Families are united and happy. There is a sweet unity between the generations. “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Children are not hiding in the house. They are not afraid to play in the streets. There is righteousness, peace and joy in the city. This is a picture of revival. May it come, Lord!

GOD SPEAKS TO CHILDREN AND USES THEM IN HIS KINGDOM (1Sam 3:1-21)

This is the story of God’s calling the boy Samuel to prophetic ministry. Samuel may now be about 8-10 years old. God calls Samuel four times before He can speak to him. Samuel did not know God’s voice. It means that Eli the priest was not a good teacher. He did not tell Samuel that God can speak to children like him. Why? Because like many adults, Eli himself did not believe that God can speak to children. Hannah left her first son at the temple so that he can learn how to serve God. But Eli was not a good father or mentor. This is a warning to all parents and pastors! God Himself came and ‘stood’ by Samuel to speak to him. This is wonderful!

At that time, In Israel, religion was strong. But religion was mixed with immorality. At the same time, there was no revelation of God’s Word. There was spiritual darkness over the land. But little Samuel loved God and His Word. That is why God speaks to him. God is patient with Samuel when He sees that he does not understand His voice. This is God’s Grace! This is Agape Love. Samuel loves Eli. The first time God spoke, Samuel ran to Eli. He thought it was Eli speaking. After God spoke His judgment upon the house of Eli, Samuel waited until morning before telling Eli the painful news. Lesson: it is not easy to preach the truth, God’s judgment on sin. God trusts small boy Samuel with preaching His Word when even adults fear to do that. Lesson: God always judges sin! God speaks to those who love His Word! God spoke to Moses only when ‘he turned away from the flock to look” (Ex 3:4: AMP). God’s Word brings revival to the nation.

Finally, the boy Samuel is a wonderful example of what it means to be child-like, a citizen and leader in the Kingdom of God. When God spoke to him, he immediately answered “Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears” (1Sam 3:10). May our hearts and ears be open to God. Day or night, may we listen to God’s voice! May we trust and obey God! May we preach the truth is love, even when it is uncomfortable. May we love God’s Word! May God use us to ignite revival in the church and in the nation! In Jesus’ name, amen! Worship the Lord!