Let us turn again to God's Word and directing you to a text that
we find in Romans chapter 14. Romans chapter 14 and verse 17. Paul writes, For the kingdom
of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness and peace and
joy in the Holy Ghost." With the Lord's help, considering
this particular verse, Romans 14, 17, for the kingdom of God
is not meat and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy
Ghost. We do in our prayers pray concerning
the kingdom of God, We remember the pattern prayer that the Lord
taught his disciples, the second petition of that prayer, thy
kingdom come. The first petition of course,
hallowed be thy name, and then thy kingdom come. And then at the end we have that
doxology, thine is the kingdom, thine is the power, thine is
the glory. But what exactly is it that we
are praying for when we make mention of that kingdom? We know how the Lord Jesus Christ
said to Pontius Pilate at his trial, My kingdom is not of this
world. If my kingdom were of this world,
then would my servants fight? It is not a worldly kingdom that
we pray about, that we pray for. It is that spiritual kingdom. It is the reign of grace. And
that's the theme really that I want us to address tonight,
the spiritual kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, that reign
of grace, that life of God that comes into the souls of those
who are born again of the Spirit, who become the subjects. of King
Jesus. And as we take up that theme,
just to divide what I say into two parts, first of all to consider
a negative, what the kingdom is not, and then secondly a positive,
what the kingdom is. Very simple then, division. First of all, what it is not,
this kingdom, is not an external kingdom. It is not associated
with natural things. Isn't that what is being said
here in the text? The kingdom of God is not meat
and drink. Now, as always, of course, when
we come to any part of God's Word, we must take account of
the context. We're not to tear it out of the
chapter and consider it in glorious isolation. It's set here in a
chapter in which the Apostle in many ways is seeking to reason
with these believers at Rome. So the context is important. And there are a number of things
here we see. He is referring to a weak brother. He's speaking
about how a weak brother might be offended in the matter of
diets. That's quite clear from how the
chapter opens him that he's weak in the faith. He says, Receive
ye, but not to doubtful disputations, for one believeth that he may
eat all things. Another who is weak eateth herbs. Let not him that eateth despise
him that eateth not, and let not him which eateth not judge
him that eateth, for God hath received him. What is this matter
then, this question of what a man is partaking of, his food? Well,
we learn something more concerning some of the problems that were
confronting these believers. We have to remember they lived
in an idolatrous situation. It was the Roman Empire, there
were many idols, and oftentimes they would find themselves in
situations where they were expected to eat food that had first been
offered to an idol. And Paul has to address this
matter when he writes to the Corinthians. Corinth was a very
cosmopolitan city, we know that, part of the Roman Empire at this
time. And what does he say there in 1 Corinthians chapter 8? Verse
4, as concerning therefore the eating of those things that are
offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing
in the world, and that there is none other God but One. There
are those who are strong in faith and know what idols are. They
are a non-entity. But then he goes on In verse
8, But smite commendeth us not to God, for neither if we eat
are we the better, neither if we not eat are we the worse. But take heed, lest by any means
this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to them that
are weak. those who are troubled at the
thought of partaking of meat that has first been presented
to an idol, or the blessing of an idol has been called upon
the meat that is being eaten. Well, this is the same sort of
context that we have here in Romans chapter 14. He says again here at verse 14,
I know and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing
unclean of itself. But to him that esteemeth anything
to be unclean, to him it is unclean. But if thy brother be grieved
with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. You're not walking
in love. Destroy not him with thy meat,
for whom Christ died. Again, he repeats it, verse 20.
It's obviously quite an issue. He gives a great deal of attention
to it. Verse 20, For me, destroy not the work of God. All things
indeed are pure, but it is either for that man who eateth with
offence. It is good neither to eat flesh,
nor to drink wine, nor anything whereby thy brother stumbleth,
or is offended, or is made weak. And he's making it quite clear
then that this matter of meat, of what
one is eating, really has nothing at all to do with the Kingdom
of God. These are just extraneous things,
unimportant things. But on the other hand, don't
cause that weaker brother to stumble. But then he also refers
to some who are observing days. In verse 5 he says, One man esteemeth
one day above another, another esteemeth every day alike. Let
every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth
the day regardeth it unto the Lord, and he that regardeth not
the day to the Lord he doth not regard it. And then he goes on,
you see, to speak about eating again and drinking. There were
those, you see, who were concerned about these external things,
the observing of days. It's interesting. I know it's
not in the book, but in Hart's hymns there is a hymn which is
given over in many ways to what we have in this chapter where
Hart speaks of the matter of holy days, how some would want
to observe a day, I'm not thinking necessarily of the church calendar
them observing those days, but see, people might want to observe
a particular day because of some matter that had occurred in their
own lives, and they wanted to mark that. And one of the verses
in that hymn, it's not in Gadsby's, but he says, Let not the observer
therefore entertain against his brother any secret rudge, nor
let the non-observer call him vain. but use his freedom and
forbear to judge." Don't be always judging one another. Seek to
be charitable one to the other. These matters are just externals,
they're quite extraneous, they're not altogether important. He speaks then of those in the
context here whom we might say are weak Weak brothers, weak
sisters, they're concerned about food if it's been first offered
to an idol. They're concerned to observe
days and yet believers are not obliged to observe any day at
all other than that first day of the week, the Lord's day.
This is something of the context. but then also we're not only
to think in terms of the immediate context when we think of the
the kingdom of God we're to take account of the wholeness of the
word of God what they used to call the analogy of faith and
here of course In a sense, we're to think of that kingdom of the
Lord Jesus Christ, that kingdom that Christ came to establish,
as something quite different to what pertained in the Old
Testament under the law. Now, Hebrews chapter 9 is the
most significant chapter when it comes to how Christ has brought
in a new covenant. Hebrews 8, Hebrews 9, these are
significant chapters concerning that New Covenant. At the end
of chapter 8, in Hebrews, Paul says, "...in
that he hath set a new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now
that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away."
That's the Old Covenant. And then he goes on, then verily
the first covenant had also ordinances of divine
service and a worldly sanctuary. That first covenant was carnal. Carnal in the sense that it was
of this world. And the worship of the Old Testament
was a very physical worship, we know that. There were many
ceremonies and rites that constantly had to be observed. And he is speaking, you see,
of that first covenant that has now vanished away with the coming
of the Lord Jesus Christ. He goes on in verse 9 of this
chapter, concerning the tabernacle which was a figure for the time
then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices that
could not make him that did the service perfect as pertaining
to the conscience, which stood only in meats and drinks. and
diverse washings and carnal ordinances imposed on them until the time
of Reformation. But Christ being come and high
priest of good things to come." You see, the time of Reformation
is the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and those things, those
carnal ordinances, those meats and drinks and washings and all
that pertain to the old way of worship has vanished. He goes on later here in Hebrews
13 and verse 9, it is a good thing that the heart be established
with grace, he says, not with meats, which have not profited
them that have been occupied therein. Coming back into our
text, the Kingdom of God, is not meat and drink. When we think of the immediate
context and dealing with those weaker brethren, when we think
of the more general context, when we think of the Lord of
God, we think also of course of the letter of that law. There's a verse I suppose that
we can compared to our text what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 4
verse 20 he says the kingdom of God is not in word here he
says the kingdom of God is not meat and drink well there to
the Corinthians he says the kingdom of God is not in word but in
power and that really brings us to what the Lord is saying
in that portion that we read in Luke chapter 17. The kingdom
of God he speaks of there and again he makes it plain what
that kingdom is not concerned with. He was demanded of the
Pharisees when the kingdom of God should come and he answered
them and said 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." It's not something external,
it's not to do with physical things. It's an inward kingdom,
that's what the Lord is saying. The Jews were expecting God's
kingdom, but what did they want? They wanted something external,
something that would impress the senses. When he says, he
cometh not with observation, you might observe in the margin
of your Bible that the word literally means outward shell. The kingdom
of God doesn't come without good show. That was the way of things
in the Old Testament. There was much that impressed
when we think of the tabernacle and the temple and all that was
involved there in the worship of God. He's speaking then in
that 17th chapter of Luke of of that kingdom that he had come
to establish. And there would be those who
might say, no, it's here, or no, it's there. Or see here,
or see there, here's something to observe. Here's something
to impress. No, the kingdom of God is not
of this world. As the Lord said to Pontius Pilate,
it's a spiritual kingdom, and we need always to remember that. It's more than a form. We want things to be done decently
and in order. We want the right form. We want
to follow those traditions of the fathers, those good traditions.
But that's not what the Kingdom of God is, a form of word so
air so sound can never save a soul. The Holy Ghost must give the
wound, make the wounded whole. All the Kingdom of God is within
a man. It's something that's taking
place in the soul of the sinner. It's a spiritual kingdom. Remember,
out of Timothy, Paul can speak of some who have a form of godliness.
but they deny the power thereof." God's kingdom is not in word. God's kingdom is in power. It's the power of the Holy Spirit.
Now the psalmist rejoices in that. Psalm 145, they shall speak
of the glory of thy kingdom. and talk of thy power to make
known to the sons of men his mighty acts and the glorious
majesty of his kingdom." Oh, it is a mighty work that God
does in the salvation of sinners. It is the most glorious of the
works that God does in this day of grace. When those who by nature
are dead in trespasses and in sins are born again, As we know
from what Paul says there at the end of Ephesians chapter
1, it's the same power that is necessary as was there in the
resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And Christ says, Thy dead men
shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. All this kingdom then, it's not
just the letter of religion. It's nothing merely external. Behold, the kingdom of God is
within you. True religion, more than notion. Something must be known and felt. Or we sort of say something on
the negative, what it is not. It's not any of these outward
things. The kingdom of God is not meat
and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy
Ghost. It's not outward, it's inward.
It's not natural, but it's spiritual. It's not the law, but it's the
gospel. It's not legal practices, it's
the grace of God. But what is the language of the
law? Remember Colossians chapter 2, touch not, taste not, handle
not. That's all external things. What is this kingdom? Well, three
things we see here. First of all, it is righteousness.
It is righteousness. And surely this directs us to
the Lord Jesus Christ. Think of the language of the
prophets. where Isaiah time and again speaks
of the coming of the Lord Jesus. Christ speaks constantly of that
great day of grace, the day of the Messiah that was to come.
In Isaiah 45 verse 8, for example, drop down your heavens from above,
let the skies pour down righteousness, let the earth open, let them
bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together.
I, the Lord, have created it." This is that great work that
the Lord Jesus Christ has come to establish. And what is it? It's likened unto the heavens
pouring down righteousness. Is He not made of a woman and
made under the law? Has he not come to honor and
to magnify that Lord of God? Daniel also speaks of that work
of the Lord Jesus Christ, Daniel 9, 24, when he speaks of the
70 weeks, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make
reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness. and that's what the Lord has
done or when he comes in the fullness of the time God sends
forth his son made of a woman made under the law he is subject
to that law of God and as the Lord is pleased or the Lord is
well pleased for his righteousness sake he will indeed honor and
he will magnify that law of God what is his name? why his name
is righteousness This is the name whereby he shall be called
the Lord, our righteousness. This reminds us then of that
great gospel doctrine concerning the kingdom of God. It is righteousness,
the gospel doctrine of justification. Christ's righteousness, and that
righteousness imputed to the sinner, transferred to the sinner. He is the end of the law for
righteousness to everyone that believeth. There's the active
obedience of his life, but more than that, we know there's also
what they call the passive obedience of his death. He is obedient
unto death, even the death of the cross, but he's not passive
in dying. His whole sacrifice is a voluntary sacrifice. Men
don't take his life, but he deliberately gives his life. And what does
he accomplish by that death? He brings reconciliation. He reconciles the sinner to God.
He is made of a woman, made under the law. to redeem them that
were under the law. He has paid the price of redemption,
that ransom price that was demanded by the holy law of God. And how
these things are brought out by the Apostle Paul as he writes
in his various epistles there in Colossians. Colossians 1 verse
20, having made peace. through the blood of his cross,
by him to reconcile all things unto himself. By him I say, whether
they be things in earth or things in heaven, and you that were
some time alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works,
yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through
death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable
in his sight. Here is the kingdom of God, it
is righteousness and peace. It's righteousness and peace,
peace through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. But what does
this word peace really suggest to us? If righteousness is speaking
to us of the work of Christ, who is under the law and honors
it and magnifies it and fulfills all righteousness, Surely the
priest reminds us of that gracious work of the Holy Spirit, because
there must be an application, what Christ has done. The great
objective truths of the Gospel must be brought home into the
heart of the sinner, there must be that subjective aspect. There
are two sides to salvation, there's the objective, And when we think
of justification, that's very much what we're thinking of.
It's declaratory. It's the sinner declared to be
righteous. As he's in the Lord Jesus Christ,
it's a language of law courts. But there is a subjective aspect.
There is that peace, that reconciliation experienced in the conscience. And so we observe the word order
here. It's first righteousness, And
then it's peace. That work of the Lord Jesus Christ
applied brings peace to the troubled conscience. And isn't that the
work of the Holy Ghost? You see, it's all in the Holy
Ghost. Righteousness and peace and joy
in the Holy Ghost. How the Lord speaks of the necessity
that he should go away, if he goes not away the Spirit will
not come, if he goes away he will send the Spirit and he knows
the manner of that going, he must be through the death of
the cross and then the resurrection, then the ascension, then the
sending of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost. And now the
Lord in those familiar chapters in John's Gospel speaks of the
Spirit, the Comforter And what is his ministry? We have it there
in John 16 at verse 8 following, he comes as a reprover, to reprove,
to convince of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. Well this is
how he makes Christ's work such a reality, when the sinner is
made to feel what he is. Now he needs that precious blood
now to to cleanse from all his sins, that fountain that's been
opened for sin and uncleanness, that precious blood of the Lord
Jesus. But the Spirit doesn't just come
to convince and to reprove, He comes also as the Spirit of Christ. And we see it there in that passage
from verse 8 in John 16. Read through to verse 14 and
see how, having convinced, He then comes as the Spirit of Christ.
He takes of the things of Christ. He reveals them. He makes Christ
a blessed reality. And so Paul can speak of those
having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, the application
of the precious blood of the Lord Jesus, a conscience now
void of offense. Oh, that conscience, when it's
awakened, what conviction? how Saul of Tarsus is there kicking
against the pricks, how his conscience is guilding him. But then he
finds salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. He knew then a conscience
void of any offense. This is how peace comes. It comes
ultimately by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And we have it
of course here. in the opening verse of chapter 5, Therefore
being justified by faith we have peace with God. There's the peace. Being justified by faith we have
peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. But really, surely
here, the punctuation is not right. It should read, Therefore
being justified, that's the opening clause, comma, by faith we have
peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. The justification
is before faith. The justification in that sense,
of course, is an eternal justification. It's by faith that we experience
peace with God. And this is a message of the
apostles. We see it in In Paul's preaching
there in Acts 13, Be it known unto you that through this man
is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins. And by him all that
believe are justified from all things that they could not be
justified from by the deeds of the Lord. Well, this is what
the kingdom of God is. It's that work of the Lord Jesus
Christ that accomplish salvation. His obedience in life is obedience
unto death. It's that gracious ministry of
the Holy Spirit, those sovereign operations, making all of this
a blessed reality. And then there's joy. Oh, how
the believer now is brought to rejoice. And joy, it says, in
the Holy Ghost. Remember the language of Nehemiah?
That lovely verse back in Nehemiah 8, 10. The joy of the Lord is
thy strength. who are we those who know what
it is to rejoice in this gospel of the grace of God, the spiritual
kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. And Paul writes to the Philippians
how he exhorts them, rejoice in the Lord always, he says,
and again I say rejoice. Surely God's people are to be
a joyful people. If we are so favored to be those
who are the subjects of King Jesus. Oh, let us be those who
would contend then for His crown rights. The kingdom is His. He is that One who is God, God
manifest in the flesh. He has established now that blessed
kingdom of grace. It is the day of grace. It is
the acceptable time. It is the day of salvation. We are to remember what it is
not. It's not anything simply external,
natural, legal. It's none of those things. It's
not meat and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy
Ghost. Oh, the Lord grant that we might
be favored to know, to experience what it is to be those who are
the Lord's, who confess Him as their King, even in this sinful
world. Well, the Lord bless these things
to us. We're going to sing Gadsby's
lovely hymn now, 683, to the tune of St. George, number 59,
Great God, Thy kingdom come. With reverence would we pray, May the eternal three-in-one
His sovereign scepter sway. May mercy, truth, and peace fill
each believer's soul, and the sweet kingdom of Thy grace their
raging lusts control. 683.