well the lord helping me this
morning the scripture i bring to your attention is found in
john chapter 18 verse 36 and the words of the lord jesus christ
my kingdom is not of this world my kingdom is not of this world
the whole verse reads jesus answered my kingdom is not of this world
if my kingdom were of this world then would my servants fight
that i should not be delivered to the jews but now is my kingdom
not from hence and so our text This morning is that simple statement
of the Lord Jesus Christ, my kingdom is not of this world. You know that it was declared
by the Old Testament prophets that the Messiah would be a king. Psalm 2 verse 6, yet have I set
my king upon my holy hill of Zion. And Isaiah says, "...of
the increase of his government and peace, there shall be no
end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order
it, and to establish it, with judgment and with justice, from
henceforth even forever." The zeal of the Lord of hosts will
perform this. But, you know, the Jews who were
awaiting the coming of their Messiah misunderstood the nature
of Messiah's kingdom. Their expectation was that Messiah
would set up his throne at Jerusalem and that he would deliver the
nation from their political oppressors. They were looking for that which
was merely temporal and outward, a kingdom altogether of this
world. And when the Messiah did come
to them, he plainly declared unto them, "...the kingdom of
God cometh not with observation, neither shall they say, Lo here! or Lo there! for behold, the
kingdom of God is within you." but they did not hear him. I like Dr. Gill's comment on
that saying of Christ there in Luke 17 verse 21 he says for
behold the kingdom of God is within you in the elect of God
among the Jews in their hearts, it being of a spiritual nature,
and lying in righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost,
in the dispossession of Satan, the strongman armed, in the putting
down of the old man, sin, with its deceitful lusts, from the
throne, and in setting up a principle of grace as a governing one,
and so escapes the observation of natural men and cannot be
pointed at as here or there." And he goes on to say, does Dr.
Gill, it is an inward principle of holiness in the soul, or spirit
of man, produced there by the spirit of God. And again, Gill
says, it also appears to be a very glorious thing since it is signified
by a kingdom. It is a rich treasure. It is
gold dried in the fire which makes rich. It is an estate of
that good part and portion which can never be taken away. It is
preferable to the greatest portion on earth men can enjoy. Even
the largest and richest kingdom in the world is not to be compared
with it. It is a kingdom which cannot
be moved. And as it is glorious in itself, it makes such glorious
who are partakers of it. And then the learned doctor goes
on to say that it is likewise evident from hence, that it has
great power and authority in the soul. It has the government
in it. It reigns through righteousness
unto eternal life, and by it, Christ, as King of saints, dwells
and reigns in his people. Yes, the Messiah came to set
up a kingdom! But it was entirely different
to what the Jews were expecting. They were expecting a temporal
kingdom, a visible external kingdom, a worldly kingdom, like the kingdoms
of this world. But Christ's kingdom was and is a spiritual kingdom. It is primarily an internal kingdom,
and it is an eternal kingdom. for all that is in the world
the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride
of life is not of the Father but is of the world and the world
passeth away and the lust thereof because Christ's kingdom is not
of this world it shall never pass away as it is written in
the Psalms thy kingdom is an everlasting It was that mistaken view of
the Jews regarding Christ's Kingdom which was the reason and the
basis of all their opposition to the Lord Jesus Christ, and
which ultimately led, of course, to their ruin. How necessary
it is, then, and how it behoves us to have right views of the
Lord Jesus Christ and of His Kingdom. and to mark the words
of our text, my kingdom is not of this world, and to consider
the implications of such a doctrine, lest we be found at last to be
enemies of Christ, and opposed to his kingdom, and so be brought
at last to endless and eternal ruin. The Lord Jesus Christ clearly
demonstrates the nature of his kingdom He gave a practical demonstration,
as it were, of the nature of his kingdom when he rode into
Jerusalem, sitting upon an ass, an occult, the foal of an ass. We read there in Matthew 21 verse
6, And the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them,
and brought the ass and the colt, and put on them their clothes,
and they set him thereon. And a very great multitude spread
their garments in the way. Others cut down branches from
the trees and strawed them in the way. And the multitudes that
went before and that followed cried, saying, Hosanna to the
Son of David! Blessed is he that cometh in
the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest! Oh, see how he is lauded as a
king! See how he received the acclamation
and honour which is due to a king! Ah, but see, too, the meanness
of his appearance. Where is his crown? Why is he
riding upon an ass and not in a chariot? or upon a white stallion? Where is his royal apparel and
his splendid courage? Where's his army, his cavalry,
his infantry? And why are there just 12 unarmed
men walking? Walking, not even marching, they're
walking. Are these his soldiers? Why are they just fishermen and
tax collectors and such like? and yet this is the king and
this is his kingdom Matthew tells us that this was all done in
fulfillment of the prophecy of Zechariah again there in Matthew
21 at verse 4 he says all this was done that it might be fulfilled
which was spoken by the prophet saying tell ye the daughter of
Zion behold thy king cometh unto thee meek, and sitting upon an
ass, and a colt, the foal of an ass. The prophecy in Zechariah
reads, Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of
Jerusalem! Behold, thy King cometh unto
thee. He is just, and having salvation, lowly, and riding
upon an ass, and upon a colt, the foal of an ass. Here is the
Lord Jesus Christ showing the true nature of his kingdom. He visually sets before the Jews
what he had verbally declared here in the words of our text
before Pontius Pilate. My kingdom is not of this world. My kingdom is not of this world. well with the Lord's help and
I trust with his blessing we shall proceed to consider the
kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ that it is spiritual as opposed
to secular that it is primarily internal as opposed to external
and that it is eternal now we have only time this morning to
consider the first of these three headings the spiritual nature
of Christ's kingdom and if the Lord will we shall consider the
second two headings on another occasion so this morning I want
to consider with you I trust with the Lord's help and with
his blessings something of the spiritual nature of the kingdom
of our Lord Jesus Christ but we have to state at the outset
what we mean by the kingdom of Christ What we have to say this
morning concerning the kingdom of the Lord Jesus does not relate
to his providential government of the world and of the nations
as God. We know that Christ, by whom
were all things created, also sovereignly governs with the
Father and with the Holy Ghost all those things which he has
created. we read of him in Hebrews as
upholding all things by the word of his power we read of him in
Psalm 22 as the governor among the nations Psalm 22 verse 28 for the kingdom is the Lord's
and he is the governor among the nations there is his providential
government of the world and of its inhabitants now the kingdom
of which we are speaking this morning and of which Christ is
speaking in the words of our text is a kingdom not of this
world, it is a kingdom it is the kingdom of his grace as the
God-man mediator The kingdom of Christ then, that kingdom
which is not of this world, is his church. It's the gospel church. Now we see the distinction between
the world and the church many times throughout the scriptures.
We read of the Lord's providential government, his providential
kingdom which extends over the whole world in Psalm 47 for example
Psalm 47 verse 2 for the Lord most high is terrible he is a
great king over all the earth and verse 7 of that psalm for
God is the king of all the earth sing ye praises with understanding
God reigneth over the heathen God sitteth upon the throne of
his holiness there is God's and we can say
Christ too for he reigns with the Father and with the Spirit
there is his providential kingdom which extends over all the world
we read of the kingdom of his grace in such places as Colossians
1 verse 13, where we read of the Father, which hath made us
meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, who hath
delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated
us into the kingdom of his dear Son, in whom we have redemption
through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. This kingdom The kingdom
of God's dear Son, or the Son of His love, is made up of those
who are called to be saints, who are delivered from the devil's
dominion, and who are translated into Christ's kingdom by the
new birth. It is made up of those who are
redeemed by precious blood, and whose sins are all forgiven.
It is the Gospel Church. And before we go on to consider
the spiritual nature of Christ's kingdom, we must also note the
connection between the kingdom of Christ and the New Covenant. Under the Old Covenant, the Jews
were the people of God, the chosen nation, and God was their King. And so we read in the Psalms,
again, Let Israel rejoice in him that made him, let the children
of Zion be joyful in their King. and you remember how Samuel reproved Israel when they asked
for a king to be set over them like the other nations and when
he saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against
you he said unto me Nay, but a king shall reign over us when
the Lord your God was your king the Lord your God was your king
or Israel was a theocracy And that theocracy was founded on
the covenant which was made at Mount Sinai. And all the promised blessings
of that covenant were merely temporal and external. And that earthly kingdom was
destroyed in AD 70, because they knew not the time of their visitation,
as Christ said. Their temple was destroyed and
there is now no longer any prophet or priest or king because the
Lord Jesus Christ is all of those things to his people in the new
covenant of grace the new covenant is that better covenant and all
its promises are spiritual and internal and eternal we read
of that new covenant in the book of Jeremiah Jeremiah 31 verse
31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a
new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of
Judah, not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers,
in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of
the land of Egypt, which my covenant they break. Although I was not
husband unto them, saith the LORD, but this is the covenant
that I will make with the house of Israel, After those days,
saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and
write it in their hearts, and will be their God, and they shall
be my people, and they shall teach no more every man his neighbour,
and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord, for they shall
all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them,
saith the Lord, for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember
their sin no more. and it is that covenant, the
new covenant, the covenant of grace which is the foundation
of the kingdom of Christ, Christ's kingdom like the covenant on
which it is founded and upon which it stands is spiritual
and internal and eternal. Well, let us go on to consider
the spiritual nature then of this kingdom of the Lord Jesus
Christ that we shall consider firstly its subjects, secondly
its administration or government, and then thirdly its ministers
of state, and then fourthly its warfare. So firstly then, let
us consider its subjects. the subjects of the spiritual
kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said, they are not of the
world, even as I am not of the world. The subjects of Christ's kingdom,
the elect of God, those who were given to him by the Father, in
the eternal covenant of grace, they are not of the world, even
as Christ is not of the world. This kingdom is portrayed in
the Revelation as the holy city, New Jerusalem. And I, John, saw
the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven,
prepared as a bride, adorned for her husband. For the kingdom
consists of those who are born from above, which were born not of blood nor of the will
of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God and we note
the marginal rendering of John 3 verse 3 Jesus answered and
said unto him that is to Nicodemus verily verily I say unto thee
except a man be born again the margin says except a man be born
from above He cannot see the kingdom of God. All the subjects
of Christ's kingdom are those who are born from above, they
are not of the world. Even as I am not of the world,
Jesus said. And so he says here in the words
of our text, my kingdom is not of this world. they and they
only are the true subjects of King Jesus and they and they
only are truly in his kingdom who are born again of the Spirit
of God who have been delivered from the power of darkness and
have been translated into the kingdom by the new birth with
the new birth comes the felt sense of sin and of the power
of darkness and with the felt sense of sin and of the power
of darkness in the heart comes the cry for deliverance from
the heart the law of God convinces the
awakened sinner of his sin and the gospel reveals the only savior
of sinners and the only deliverer from sin, the Lord Jesus Christ. And true faith, as it is wrought
in the heart by the Holy Spirit of God, looks to Christ, comes
to Christ, and calls upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ
for deliverance and for salvation. And the golden promise of the
Word of God stands forever true. and it shall come to pass that
whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered
and again for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord
shall be saved well these then are the subjects of King Jesus
these are the subjects of his spiritual kingdom they are those
who are spiritually poor in themselves And so the Lord Jesus describes
his blessed subjects in his Sermon on the Mount when he says, blessed
are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. feeling
in themselves the spiritual poverty of their fallen nature. They
come to Him in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Oh, they see that in Jesus is
all that their souls need. And that faith which is wrought
in their hearts is ever accompanied with love. Indeed, it is a faith
which worketh by love both love and faith are the fruit of the
Spirit where there is real faith there
will be love love to God we love him because he first loved us there will be love to the people
of God whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of
God and everyone that loveth him that begat loveth him also
that is begotten of him there will be a love for the
word of God and for the ways of God and so we could go on
James tells us that love is the royal law James 2.18 I think I've got the wrong reference
here. It's not James 2.18, but certainly James tells us, he
speaks of the royal law. Yes, there it is, it's verse
8. James 2, verse 8. If you fulfil the royal law according
to the scripture, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself,
ye do well. Love is the royal law of the
kingdom. These then, are the subjects
of this kingdom which is not of this world the kingdom being
a spiritual kingdom its subjects must be spiritual they are born
from above born of the Spirit the graces of the Spirit of God
are wrought in their hearts as Paul writes to the Galatians But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
meekness, temperance. Against such there is no law. Oh, they seek to walk in the
Spirit. As Paul goes on to say there in Galatians 5, If ye live
in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Oh, this kingdom
is a spiritual house. comprising spiritual stones,
stones which have been made spiritually alive, as Peter says, 1 Peter
2 verse 5. Ye also as lively stones, as
living stones, are built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to
offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Oh, this kingdom is a spiritual
kingdom. My kingdom is not of this world. We've considered, albeit briefly,
something of its subject. Let us go on to consider in the
second place its administration or government. As the kingdom
of the Lord Jesus Christ is spiritual, so is its government or administration. The Lord Jesus governs His church,
His kingdom, by means of His word. Those who reject The Word
of God reject the government of Christ. Those who deny the
authority of God's Word deny the authority of Christ. Those
who walk contrary to the Word of God are manifestly not under
the government of Christ, and therefore they are not in his
kingdom of grace at all. Those who are subject to his
word are truly subject to Christ. But whoso keepeth his word, in
him verily is the love of God perfected. Hereby know we that
we are in him. The word of Christ is the spiritual
means by which Christ governs his people. The Holy Scriptures
are the sole rule of faith and conduct for all the citizens
of the Heavenly Kingdom. And the Holy Scriptures, being
the enacted and established laws of our Heavenly King, are to
be regarded above all the traditions of men, and above all the laws
of earthly monarchs, prime ministers, and presidents. As Peter and
the other apostles answered and said when they were brought to
trial for their act of civil disobedience, we ought to obey
God rather than men. And God's Word, the Word of Christ
our King is spiritual it is God-breathed and that's the literal meaning
of the words given by inspiration of God all scripture is given
by inspiration of God all scripture is God-breathed Jesus said the
words that I speak unto you they are spirit and they are life those who are of the world who
are yet in their sins cannot receive the word of God for Paul
says under the direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians
2 verse 14 but the natural man receiveth not the things of the
Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know
them because they are spiritually discerned only the one who gave
the word can give a real spiritual understanding of the word and
this was shown to the assembled disciples you remember after
Christ had risen from the dead in Luke 24 verse 44 and he said
unto them these are the words which I spake unto you when I
was yet with you while I was yet with you that all things
must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses,
and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms concerning me. Then opened
he their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures."
Oh, how we need to come before our King and beg of Him to give
us that right understanding of His Holy Word, that we might
be able to walk according to it. Five times we see it in Psalm
119, that great psalm which deals with the Word of God. Verse 34,
give me understanding and I shall keep thy law, yea, I shall observe
it with my whole heart. Verse 73, give me understanding
that I may learn thy commandments. Verse 125, give me understanding
that I may know thy testimonies. Verse 144, the righteousness
of my testimonies is everlasting, give me understanding and I shall
live. And verse 169, let my cry come
near before thee, O Lord, give me understanding according to
thy word. As Christ's kingdom is spiritual,
so the administration of it is spiritual. Christ reigns in his
church by the sceptre of his word. As the kingdom is not of
this world, neither is its government. Forever, O Lord, thy word is
settled in heaven." This brings us to our third heading, it's
Ministers of State. The ministers of state in Christ's
spiritual kingdom are those who bring the word of God to the
people, pastors and teachers in this present day. And he,
that is Christ, the ascended king, gave some apostles and
some prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers
for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry,
for the edifying of the body of Christ. Oh, they are men who
have been spiritually taught, that is, taught of the Spirit
of God. They are men who have received
a spiritual call to preach the Gospel. That spiritual call to
preach the Gospel is, in the words of A. A. Hodge, expressed
in the witness of the Spirit, the leadings of providence, and
the call of the brethren. Joseph Hart puts it like this
in one of his hymns, but behold the gospel plan Jesus sends his
Holy Spirit and the Spirit sends the man. We see the pattern in
the church at Antioch in Acts 13 as they ministered to the
Lord and fasted the Holy Ghost said separate me Barnabas and
Saul for the work whereunto I have called them And when they had
fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them
away. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto
Seleucia, and so on. Christ's kingdom is spiritual,
and Christ's ministers of state are spiritual, spiritually taught,
and spiritually sent. They are instructed, Feed the
flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof,
not by constraint, but willingly, not for filthy lucre's sake,
not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind, neither as being
lords over God's heritage, but being in samples to the flock.
You see, they are to feed a spiritual people, the flock of God, or
God's heritage, and they are to feed that flock with spiritual
food, the Word of God, the Word of God. They're not to be as
lords over God's heritage, let alone sit as lords on the parliamentary
benches in the House of Lords over the secular state, as 26
of the bishops and archbishops of the Church of England do.
No, Jesus said to his disciples, ye know that they which are accounted
to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them. and their
great ones exercise authority upon them, but so shall it not
be among you. But whosoever will be great among
you shall be your minister, and whosoever of you will be the
chiefest shall be servant of all. For even the Son of Man
came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give
his life a ransom for many. kingdom of christ is spiritual
and its ministers are spiritual as paul says again there in 1
corinthians chapter 2 verse 12 now we have received not the
spirit of the world but the spirit which is of god that we might
know the things that are freely given to us of God, which things
also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth,
but which the Holy Ghost teacheth, comparing spiritual things with
spiritual. Yes, the ministers of that kingdom
which is not of the world have received the spirit which is
of God, not the spirit of the world. and it's evident then
that the Church of Rome is no true church at all for it has
a temporal kingdom it has an earthly monarch it is entirely
of this world my kingdom is not of this world Jesus said now although Christ's kingdom
is not of this world yet it does have its battles Although it's
a spiritual kingdom it yet has its warfare so let us go on to
consider fourthly and finally its warfare it's a sad fact that
the kingdoms of this world are often involved in wars and the Lord has told us of the
last days the days in which we are now living For nation shall
rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. But we're not
to imagine that because Christ's kingdom is not of this world,
then it will not be involved in any warfare. It is involved
in a warfare. But the warfare in which this
kingdom is involved is spiritual. It is a spiritual kingdom and
its warfare is likewise spiritual. Its antagonist is spiritual.
that great adversary of the kingdom is the devil his name satan means
adversary he is called in scripture the god of this world the god
of this world 2 corinthians 4 verse 3 but if our gospel be hid it
is hid to them that are lost in whom the god of this world
have blinded the minds of them which believe not lest the light
of the glorious gospel of Christ who is the image of God should
shine unto them all Christ's kingdom is not of this world
but its enemy is its enemy is again Paul goes into the spiritual
nature of this warfare doesn't he with the God of this world
in Ephesians chapter 6 for we wrestle not against flesh and
blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers
of the darkness of this world against spiritual wickedness
in high places for Christ's kingdom is not of this world and being
not of this world it's brought into conflict with this present
evil world and with the God of this world and with the rulers
of the darkness of this world. The warfare in which the church,
the spiritual kingdom of Christ is involved, is spiritual, and
so is weaponry, is spiritual too. For though we walk in the
flesh, we do not war after the flesh. For the weapons of our
warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God, to the pulling down
of strongholds, casting down imaginations, and every high
thing that exhorted itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing
into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." This truth the Lord declares
before Pontius Pilate, my kingdom is not of this world, and he
goes on to say, if my kingdom were of this world, then would
my servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Jews,
but now is my kingdom not from hence. They're not involved in
a carnal warfare. The weapons of our warfare are
not carnal. And Paul goes on to speak there
in Ephesians chapter 6 of the spiritual armory of the kingdom
of Christ, the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness,
its footwear, the preparations of the gospel of peace, the shield
of faith, the helmet of salvation. and the Sword of the Spirit,
which is the Word of God, and prayer, praying always, with
all prayer and supplication in the Spirit. This is the spiritual
armory of Christ's spiritual kingdom. Oh, are you fighting? Are you
involved in this warfare? There is not one soul who is
in Christ's kingdom is exempted from this warfare if you're not
involved in this warfare then you are not in the kingdom as we draw towards a conclusion
this doctrine that Christ's kingdom is not of this world and that
it is a spiritual kingdom has certain implications Firstly,
that a true church of Jesus Christ does not extend its domain at
the point of a sword, or with faggot and flame. Secondly, that a true church
of Jesus Christ cannot be a state church, and vice versa, a state
church cannot be a true church of Jesus Christ. Indeed, a state
church is a contradiction in terms. How can it be that the reigning
monarch of the land can be called the supreme governor
of the Church of England? He or she may or may not be born
again of the Spirit of God, they might yet be in their sins, but
yet they are still, according to the law of the land, the supreme
governor of the Church of England. How is it possible that the Prime
Minister, who may or may not be an unregenerate man, or a
regenerate man, how is it possible that a Prime Minister can appoint
ministers in the established church? He appoints, for example,
the Archbishop of Canterbury. He's involved in a committee
that appoints other bishops too. This is completely contrary to
what Christ says here my kingdom is not of this world a state
church is of this world and is no true church at all and thirdly that a true church
of Jesus Christ does not evangelize using carnal
and worldly methods You know, the sort of thing that goes on
today. Massive angelistic events, big tents, big campaigns, lots
of money being spent. Entertainment, religion. I remember
one December going down Gone Wolf and seeing the family church
were doing some outreach down there. They had a stage. There
was flashing lights, disco music. and they had girls gyrating on
the stage wearing skimpy t-shirts and this apparently is evangelism. I don't think so. I don't think
so. Such a church is no true church
of Jesus Christ. the preaching of the gospel,
the preaching of the word of God is the God-ordained means
of gathering souls unto Christ and of bringing souls into his
kingdom but after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom
knew not God it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching
to save them that believe Paul writes to the Galatians this
only would I learn of you received ye the Spirit by the works of
the law, or by the hearing of faith." A church where there is little
or no preaching, or a church which does not preach the gospel
of the grace of God, is no true church of Jesus Christ. But the great question we have
to ask ourselves this morning is this, Where do I stand in
relation to this spiritual kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ? Am
I looking to Jesus as my King? My King to deliver me and to
save me from my sins and from the great enemy of my soul? Am
I looking to Jesus as my King to serve Him and to obey Him? and to please Him in all things. Now if any man have not the Spirit
of Christ, he is none of His. Let us examine ourselves, let
us prove our own selves. Know ye not your own selves,
how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? May
the Lord bless His word to each of our souls and may we be established
in His kingdom and His kingdom established in us. And may we
know by grace and through faith that our conversation, our citizenship,
is in heaven from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord
Jesus Christ. or remember how he said, my kingdom
is not of this world. Amen.