The Kingdom of Christ

Q: What does the Bible say about the kingdom of Christ?

The kingdom of Christ is the spiritual reign of Jesus, characterized by righteousness, peace, and joy, and is not visible to the physical eye. The Bible teaches that the kingdom of Christ is a spiritual kingdom, one that cannot be seen with human eyes. It is described in Hebrews 1:8-9 as a kingdom marked by righteousness and justice. The kingdom of God does not come with observation; rather, it is found in the hearts of believers, as pointed out in Luke 17:20-21. This kingdom is ruled by Christ, the King of kings, and reflects His absolute authority and sovereignty over all creation.

Q: How do we know the kingdom of God is within us?

The kingdom of God is described as being among us and within us, revealed through faith by the Holy Spirit. According to Christ in Luke 17:20-21, the kingdom of God does not come with signs that can be seen and is instead found within or among believers. This understanding emphasizes that the awareness of God's kingdom requires spiritual insight, which is granted by the Holy Spirit. Without divine revelation, humans are spiritually blind to these truths. Thus, when one is born again, they receive the ability to perceive and partake in the kingdom of God.

Q: Why is righteousness important in the kingdom of God?

Righteousness is the foundation of the kingdom of God, defining its justice, fairness, and the character of its king. Righteousness is central to the concept of the kingdom of God as described in Romans 14:17, where the kingdom is defined as righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. The character of God is one of perfect righteousness; He loves righteousness and hates iniquity (Hebrews 1:9). For believers, this righteousness is not merely a legal standing but involves an inner transformation where they partake in the divine nature, enabling them to live justly in response to God's grace.

Q: How does one enter the kingdom of heaven?

One must be born again and possess a righteousness that exceeds that of the Pharisees to enter the kingdom of heaven. To enter the kingdom of heaven, as stated in Matthew 5:20, one must have a righteousness that exceeds that of religious leaders, specifically the Pharisees. This indicates that mere outward conformity to the law is insufficient. Instead, it requires being born again, which is described in John 3:3-5 as a spiritual rebirth that grants the believer the ability to see and enter the kingdom. This transformation is rooted in God's grace, where believers are made partakers of divine righteousness, resulting in a humble recognition of their need for God's mercy.

Q: What is the significance of the scepter of righteousness in Christ's kingdom?

The scepter of righteousness symbolizes Christ's just and fair rule over His kingdom. The scepter of righteousness, as depicted in Hebrews 1:8, represents the unique and just nature of Christ's reign. Unlike earthly rulers, whose justice can often be flawed, Christ's reign is marked by absolute righteousness and fairness. This scepter indicates not only His authority but also the moral and ethical standards by which He governs. As believers, understanding this aspect of His kingdom assures us of the faithfulness of God's promises and the just nature of His will for our lives.

Would you turn with me to Hebrews
chapter one? Last week, we considered the
throne of the Lord Jesus Christ. And tonight, we're going to consider
the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. Look with me in Hebrews
chapter 1, verse 8. But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever
and ever a scepter of righteousness, is the scepter of thy kingdom. thou hast loved righteousness,
and hated iniquity. Therefore God, even thy God,
hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness, exuberant joy above
thy fellows." Jesus Christ. I love his name. The Lord Jesus Christ. As the king of kings ruling from
his throne as a kingdom. Over 150 times in the New Testament,
we read of the kingdom of heaven. And the kingdom of God. and the
kingdom of Christ. They are one and the same thing. A scepter of righteousness, a
scepter of rightness is the scepter of thy kingdom. Now what does
this word kingdom mean? We find it throughout the scriptures.
What is a kingdom? Now the word kingdom has both
an abstract and a concrete meaning. Its abstract meaning, a kingdom,
is a word that denotes sovereignty, royal power, dominion. And its concrete meaning is the
territory over which a king rules, or the people over which a king
rules. Now, both the abstract meaning
and the concrete meaning are found in a very familiar passage
of Scripture. Would you turn with me to Daniel,
Chapter 4? I love this verse of Scripture. Daniel, Chapter 4. Beginning in verse 34 of Daniel,
Chapter 4. And at the end of the days, I,
Nebuchadnezzar, Lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding
returned unto me." You know, the Lord had turned him into
a beast to teach him a lesson. And he says, my understanding
came back to me. And here's what he understood
when his understanding came back to me. He said, I blessed the
Most High, and I praised and honored him that liveth forever
whose dominion. is an everlasting dominion, and
his kingdom is from generation to generation, and all the inhabitants
of the earth are reputed as nothing. And he doeth according to his
will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the
earth, and none can stay his hand. No one can prevent him
from doing his will, or no one can say, what are you doing?
Give an account for yourself. No, he giveth no account of his
matters. He's absolute authority. And I love thinking about the
authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's not just an empty name.
He is the king of kings and he reigns over his kingdom and the
scepter of his kingdom is utterly unique. It's called the scepter
of righteousness. And my marginal reading says
a sector of rightness or straightness, absolute justice, equity and
fairness. Now, this kingdom is utterly
unique. There's no other kingdom like this kingdom. A kingdom
of utter justice, fairness and equity. There's a perfectly level
playing field. This king is no respecter of
persons, and this is the only kingdom of its kind, the kingdom
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, where can I see this kingdom?
How can I find this kingdom? Where is it at? Well, turn with
me for a moment to Luke chapter 17. You know, I want to see the kingdom
of God, don't you? I want to see it. You know, we're taught
to pray in the very basic desires of our prayer. What are we taught
to pray? Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as
it is in heaven. And I want to see this kingdom.
But look what our Lord says in Luke chapter 17, beginning in
verse 20. And when he was demanded of the
Pharisees when the kingdom of God should come, He answered
them and said, the kingdom of God cometh not with observation. It's not something that you can
say, well, there it is. I see it. It can't be seen by
human eyes. Neither should they say, lo here
or lo there, for behold, the kingdom of God is within you. And my marginal reading says
it's among you. He wasn't telling these Unbelievers,
the kingdom of God is on your inside. No, he wasn't saying
that at all. He's saying the kingdom of God is right here
wherever the king is. There the kingdom is. This kingdom. Is not seen with observation,
it doesn't come from with outward show, pomp and circumstance.
It doesn't come in a way that can be seen with human eyes. You know, the king of this kingdom
grew up in a home, and none of them got it. Except Mary and
Joseph. I'm talking about his brothers
and sisters. They didn't see him as the king of kings. They didn't
realize that this is God living in this house. They didn't get
it. They couldn't see the glory of
the Lord Jesus Christ. And he was right before them,
and they couldn't see. You see, the kingdom of God is
not something that can be seen with human eyes. Now, somebody
may say, why? Why is that? You know, you can't
and I can't see the kingdom of God unless God gives me eyes
to see it. Why is that? Because we're spiritually blind.
Unable to see the things of God unless God gives us eyes to see.
We are spiritually blind. Our Lord said, except a man be
born again, he cannot see the kingdom of heaven. Spiritually
blind. And you see, this kingdom can
only be known by revelation. You know, our Lord said unto
you, it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom, but
to them it is not given. If you have some understanding
of the kingdom of God, what a blessing of God's grace. You wouldn't
know it unless God was pleased to make it known to you. And
as far as his kingdom goes, it's not a kingdom of this world.
I love, turn to John 18. I love this passage of scripture.
John 18. Verse 33. Then Pilate entered
into the judgment hall again and called Jesus and said unto
him, Art thou the king of the Jews? Jesus answered him, Sayest
thou this thing of thyself? Or did others tell it thee of
me? Pilate answered, Am I a Jew?
I know nation, and the chief priests have delivered thee unto
me. What hast thou done? 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
unto the Jews. But now is my kingdom not from them. Now, obviously, not everybody
can see this kingdom, but some can. Let me tell you at least
two people who see this kingdom. First, the father. He says to the son, thy throne,
oh, God, is forever a sector of righteousness is the sector
of thy kingdom. The Father sees this kingdom.
You know who else sees this kingdom? I know of at least one person.
That thief on the cross. He saw this kingdom clearly.
He said, Lord, remember me when you come back in your kingdom. He understood that Jesus Christ
was the Lord of this kingdom. How did he understand it? The
same way you understand it, God revealed it to him. He revealed
to him who the Lord Jesus Christ was and he saw the Lord in his
weakness. Hanging on a cross, humanly speaking,
in his weakness. And he knew he's the Lord. When you come back, which no
doubt you will. He didn't say if you get out
of this mess. He said when you do, I know you're going to accomplish
whatever it is that you set out to accomplish. And when you come
back, oh, would you remember me? Oh, if this king remembers me,
what else needs to be said? Now, let's consider some things the
Bible teaches about this kingdom, the kingdom of God, the kingdom
of Christ, the kingdom of heaven. First, we read in 1 Corinthians
chapter 4, verse 20, you can turn there if you want, but I'm
just going to read it. For the kingdom of God is not
in word, but in power. Let me repeat that. 1 Corinthians
4.20, the kingdom of God is not in word but in power. The word power is might, ability. You see, the king of this kingdom
is omnipotent. He's all powerful. He said, all
power is given to me in heaven and in earth. It's not a kingdom
in word. It's not a kingdom on paper,
but in power and might. And it's the power of the king
that enables him to be the sovereign. You see, this is the only sovereign
kingdom. I think it's interesting when
you read about different countries. They'll describe themselves as
a sovereign nation. This is a sovereign nation. This
is a sovereign nation. Well, if one's a sovereign nation,
no other is. There can only be one sovereign.
And he is the absolute Sovereign having all power his will must
be done Now I have a will But do I have the power to make my
will come to pass? No No No, I don't have any power
to make my will come to pass when it comes right down to it
I don't know what's gonna happen in the next second I can plan and intend on doing
things but I don't know what's gonna happen to me Lord might
kill me before I can Do my will. And if I do do my will, it's
because he caused me to do it. But this king has the power to
make sure his will comes to pass. And his will does come to pass. Oh, the power of this kingdom. You see, it's a kingdom that
cannot be moved. We read in Hebrews chapter 12,
verse 28, Wherefore, we receiving a kingdom. which cannot be moved. I love thinking about that. How
many kingdoms have come and gone? How many? You know, right now,
I believe that we are in the most powerful country in the
world. I believe that. I'm grateful. I'm thankful. But do you know,
unless the Lord returns, It will not stay that way. That's a sobering thought. Kingdoms
come and kingdoms go. In Psalm 75, verses 6 and 7 says,
Promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west,
nor from the south. But God is judge. He putteth
one down. and setteth up another." Who's
going to win this election coming up? Everybody's so concerned
about it. I'll tell you, I know who's going to win. Whoever the
Lord puts in the office. That's who's going to win. He
putteth one down and setteth up another. Daniel said of God
in Daniel 2.21, Wisdom and might are His. He changeth the times
and the seasons. He removeth kings and setteth
up kings. And I love Proverbs 21.1, the
king's heart, whoever the king is, the king's heart is in the
hand of the Lord. As the rivers of water he turneth
it, whithersoever he will. And no human kingdom will remain,
but this kingdom we're speaking of is an eternal kingdom. It
cannot be moved. And thank God this kingdom I'm
speaking of is a kingdom of grace. Aren't you thankful for that?
Turn with me in Matthew chapter 20. I suppose, right now at any rate,
this is my favorite parable. Matthew chapter 20. Maybe if
I read a different one tomorrow, that one will be my favorite
tomorrow. But for right now, this is my
favorite parable. Matthew chapter 20. For the kingdom
of heaven. Here, you want to understand
something about the kingdom of heaven? Listen up. For the kingdom
of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, which
went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard.
And when he had agreed with the laborers for a penny a day, he
sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third
hour, nine o'clock in the morning, and saw others standing idle
in the market, and he said unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard,
and whatsoever is right, I'll give you. Remember, the scepter
of his kingdom is a right. sector. Whatever's right, that's
exactly what I'm going to give you. And they went their way,
and he went out about the 6th hour, the 9th hour, and did likewise
at about the 11th hour, 5 p.m. These other fellows had been
working 11 hours. He went out and found another
standing idle, and he saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the
day, idle? They say unto him, Because no man hath heard us.
He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever
is right, that shall you receive. So when evening was come, the
Lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labors
and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. First those fellows come out
that have only worked one hour. When they came, they were hired
about the eleventh hour. They received every man a penny. He gave them what was right. But when they first came, when
the first came, they supposed that they should have received
more. Wouldn't you suppose that? Put
yourself in these fellows' place. Wouldn't you suppose that? They
work an hour, I'll work 12 hours. If I get what's right, I'll get
12 times more. And when they had received it,
verse 10, but when the first came, they supposed that they
should have received more. And they likewise received every
man a penny. Just what he told them he would
give them. And when they had received it, they murmured against
the good man of the house, saying, These have wrought but one hour,
and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the
burden and heat of the day. Oh, I've given up so many things,
and I've sacrificed so much. They didn't sacrifice anything.
You're going to make them equal with me? It's not right. And I think it's interesting.
He says we've borne the burden and heat of the day. They've
proved by that what they really think about working for their
master. It's miserable. We're putting up with this, but
we're hoping to get something good out of it. And they're upset. This
is not right. This is not fair. And I can identify
with this. I'd be one of those people murmuring. I know I would.
I work 12 hours and you're working up. You're going to tell me you're
going to get the same thing? That doesn't seem right. In the kingdom of heaven, it
is. Let's go on reading. But he answered one of them and
said, Friend, I do thee no wrong. Didst not thou agree with me
for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy
way. I will give unto this last, even
as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do
what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil because I am
good, because I am gracious and merciful to this eleventh-hour
worker? Am I evil because of that? Oh, no, he's good. He's
merciful. I'll tell you who likes this.
The Eleventh Hour Workers. Now those other fellows, they
might not, but the Eleventh Hour Workers. Sheer free grace. So the last shall be first, and
the first last. For many be called, but few are
chosen. This is a kingdom of grace. Don't
you like this? I just I tell you, I love this. I love being saved by the grace
of God. It's a kingdom of grace. And
notice he said in our text, in Hebrews 1.8, the scepter of thy
kingdom is a scepter of righteousness. It's a scepter of utter strictness,
fairness, and righteousness. Unlike men, he does not rule
arbitrarily or unfairly. His motives are always pure. Everything he does is righteous
and displays his righteous nature. Now, this is true whether we
understand it or not. This is always true regarding
all that he does. Shall not the judge of the earth
do right? Now, people try to defend God. They said, well, God wasn't behind
that. That cyclone, and I'm not saying this, I'm saying this,
I hope, praying for the people that are going through this difficult
time and everything, but that cyclone in Burma, well, God wasn't
behind that. Well, who was then? Who was? He's in control of everything.
There's no such thing as luck. There's no such thing as, well,
how'd that happen? It's not the devil doing it either. Remember
who the devil is. The devil's God's devil. He's
on God's chain, and he can't make any move past what God allows
him to do. The Lord God is the first cause
behind all things. And whatever he does is right.
And it's right because he does it. Now, you see, if I do something,
I don't care what it is. I don't care how right it might
be. I might give Paul $100,000. And everybody says, man, that's
magnificent. I can't remember how to say that
word, magnus or whatever. But you know what? If I did it, it's no good because of who did
it. That's what makes it sinful,
not because a sinner gave it. That's why the scripture says
the plowing of the wicked is sin. Now, plowing seems to be
a very wholesome activity, doesn't it? But if a wicked man does
it, Just so, everything God does is right, because He does it. Whatever He does is right, whether
I understand it or not. And I find such comfort in that.
Shall not the judge of the earth do right? Yes, he shall, because
he is righteous in his nature. Oh, the righteousness of this
kingdom. Now, righteousness is not a theory.
I love the way he says in our text, Thou hast what? Loved righteousness and hated
iniquity. That's the character of God.
Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity. That is why the Lord has anointed
thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. Now, more
on these fellows in a moment. I never really much considered
who these fellows are, but let's consider righteousness. In Psalm 71, verse 16, David
said, I've made mention of thy righteousness, even thine only. Would you turn with me to Romans
chapter 14? Verse 17. For the kingdom of God is not
meat and drink, it's not do's and don'ts and rules and regulations
and so on. Now that's what most people make
it, but that's not what it is. It's not meat and drink. What
is it? It's righteousness. That's the kingdom of God. It's
righteousness. It's peace. It's joy in the Holy
Ghost. It's righteousness. Now, why
did David say, I've made mention of thy righteousness, even thine
only? Why did he say that? I know the answer to that question.
Because there isn't any other righteousness. There really isn't. There is how many righteous?
None. Righteous. No, not one. Only God is righteous. Can you believe that? There's
only one righteousness. That's the righteousness of God. And if I'm saved, I'm saved by
His righteousness. being imputed to me, charged
to my account, not just in a legal way, but His righteousness is
mine. You know, I dislike the phrase,
imputed righteousness. You know why I dislike it? Because
you'll never find it in the Bible. It's not imputed righteousness.
Imputation is not an adjective to describe, well, this is imputed
righteousness, and then there's actual righteousness and real
righteousness. No, there's only one righteousness. The righteousness
of God. It's imputed to the believer.
It's imparted to the believer in the new birth. A holy nature. We're called partakers of the
divine nature. This righteousness is not just
A perfect legal standing before the law of God, although it indeed
is that, but it's more than that. Turn with me to 2 Peter. Let
me show you this. Turn to 2 Peter, chapter 2. Verse 5. God spared not the old
world, but saved Noah, the eighth person, a preacher of what? Righteousness. Bringing in the flood upon the
world of the ungodly. Now, Noah wasn't getting up and
saying, y'all need to live right. Need to live right, need to live
righteous or you're going to be in trouble. No, the righteous
God's going to destroy this earth and the only place of safety
is in this ark. And he turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah
into ashes and condemned them with an overthrow, making them
an example unto those that afterwards should live ungodly and deliver
just light. That same one that the angels
yanked by the hand and pulled him out. How is he described
in the Word of God? Just Lot. That's how God describes him.
Just Lot. You know, if I'm a believer,
you know how God describes me? Just Todd. Let's go on reading. He delivered Just Lot, vexed
with the filthy conversation of the wicked. For that righteous
man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his imputed
righteousness from day to day with their unlawful deeds." It
doesn't say that, does it? They vexed his righteous what? Soul. From day to day with their
unlawful deeds. way I've understood this, that's
helped me, Adam's sin, it was charged to
my account according to the scriptures, and I am guilty of what Adam
did. I sinned. By one man sin entered
the world, and death by sin, so that death passed upon all
men. Isn't that all sin? He didn't say just as if they
sinned. No, they sinned. They sinned. I sinned when Adam
sinned. But not only was Adam's sin imputed
to me, I was born into this world with Adam's sinful nature. His evil nature was imparted
to me. That's why I was born a sinner.
I was born in unbelief. I was the wicked are estranged
from the womb. They go about as soon as they
be born, speaking lies. That's a description of you and
I. Now they're not, they're not able to, well, they can't talk. I mean, as soon as they're born,
I've never, there's no, as soon as he comes out, but that evil
nature is there. That's what he is. Now, just
as truly, just as really, as Adam's sin was imputed to me
and his Evil nature is imparted to me. The righteousness of the
Lord Jesus Christ is imputed to me. I'm saved by His righteousness. And that righteous nature is
imparted to me in the new birth. That's what the seed of God is,
the seed of God. It's a holy seed. It's a righteous
seed. And every believer has this righteousness. The righteousness of God. You see, he that doeth righteousness
is righteous even as he is righteous. You see, the key of this kingdom
is righteousness. A scepter of righteousness. God's
righteousness. Isn't it wonderful? I am the very righteousness of
God in the Lord Jesus Christ. You know, that's hard to say
that, isn't it? But isn't it what the scripture teaches? Paul said,
oh, that I may win Christ and be found in him. Not having my
own righteousness. I don't have anything to do with
that. I don't want to stand before God on my own in any way. No,
not me. Oh, that I may win Christ and
be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is of
the law, but that which is of the faithfulness of Christ, the
righteousness which is of God by faith, the kingdom of His
righteousness. Now, do you remember His fellows?
Thou hast anointed Him, the Lord Jesus Christ, with the oil of
gladness above thy fellows. Who are these fellows? Now this
word fellows is generally translated partakers or partners. These are the subjects of his
kingdom. You see a king has subjects and
these fellows are the subjects of his kingdom and they're called
partakers. They're called partners. Revelation
17, verse 4, it speaks of He's the Lord of lords and the King
of kings, and they that are with Him are called and chosen and
faithful. That's every one of His people,
called, chosen and faithful. Now, while they are hardeners
or partakers in this kingdom, He is still the one anointed
with the oil of gladness above them. You know, we're partakers
of this kingdom. We're made partakers of Christ,
the scripture says, if, same word, if we hold the beginning
of the confidence steadfast to the end. I'm a sharer in the
divine nature, is what the scripture says, but who's the one who gets
off? Are they going to, are me and him going to be on the same
level? Not in any way. He is anointed with the oil of
gladness, exuberant joy, Above his fellows now, I think that's
a reference to his anointing of the Spirit of God as a man. I don't understand all this.
I just believe it as a man. He was anointed with the Spirit
of God without measure. Now you and I have a measure
of the Spirit. Not him. He had the Spirit of God without
measure, it was the Holy Spirit who began him in the womb of
the Virgin. It was the Spirit who descended upon him in the
form of a dove when he was baptized. He was truly filled with the
Spirit of God. But we are partakers, sharers,
his fellows. Now, how is it that we're partakers
in this great kingdom that we're brought into? Because I'm talking
about this kingdom, this kingdom of grace, this kingdom of righteousness,
this kingdom of power. I'm in this kingdom. Every believer
is in this kingdom. It's a kingdom the world can't
see. I mean, a natural man will hear this and That's stupid. I don't believe that. That's
ridiculous. Well, that's all right. You know, it doesn't bother
me a bit when somebody doesn't believe the truth in the sense that it
doesn't shake me. I don't expect natural men to
believe. I expect believers to believe, though. A believer's
going to believe the truth. I mean, they all do. What do
believers do? They believe. It really is that
simple. They believe. Now, what is it
that brings one into this kingdom? Well, in Matthew chapter 5, verse
20, Our Lord said, except your righteousness exceed your righteousness,
except it exceed the righteousness described in Pharisees, you shall
in no case enter the kingdom of heaven. Well, we've already
talked about his righteousness. His righteousness is my righteousness.
That's that's my confidence. That's my joy. In Matthew, chapter
five, verse three, the Lord said, Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Now I've been talking
about having righteousness. I have the very righteousness
of God and yet I'm poor in spirit. That means I realize that in
and of myself I am nothing but a sinner. But you were saved! I can't explain that to you. Everybody that the Lord saves
is poor in spirit. They know they're bankrupt before
God and are totally dependent upon His charity. Our Lord said in John chapter
3 verse 3 and verse 5 that we cannot enter the kingdom of God
without being born again. Born from above. That's what
regeneration is. If you believe it's because He
birthed you into the kingdom. And in Matthew chapter 18, verse
3, you know, the disciples were arguing over who was going to
be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. I love the way the Lord dealt
with this. And I understand this. I'm not getting down on them
because I, you know, flesh is going to do that. I want to be
exalted. I want to be, and that's, it's
evil. It's sinful. But they were arguing
over who's going to be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And
you know what the Lord said? He said, you fellas don't have to
worry about being there if you go on in this direction. except
ye be converted and become as little children, you shall in
no case enter the kingdom of heaven. Don't you love the humility
of this kingdom? Humility is so beautiful. I love
humility. Now, don't miss this. He has
anointed thee with the oil of gladness, exuberant joy. Now, we think of righteousness
as something stern and unsmiling. We can change the tone. Righteousness. It's good, but it's not joyous. It's certainly not fun. Righteousness
Wicked people represent sin as being fun and enjoyable and righteousness
as being dull. That's just not so. The kingdom of God, Romans 14,
17, I've already quoted this. The kingdom of God is not meat
and drink, but righteousness. Peace. If the righteousness of Jesus
Christ is my righteousness before God, I have peace with God. He's not mad at me. He doesn't
have a reason to be mad. I'm perfect in Christ Jesus.
What peace! It gives me peace to know that
my salvation was accomplished by what my Redeemer did. When
He said it is finished, all my debt was paid, my salvation was
accomplished. I'm so saved. And this is true of every believer
that I'm already glorified. Nothing to worry about. Peace. You know what else that
makes me? Happy. That's a joy that this world
doesn't understand. Turn with me to Romans 15. Now, the God of hope. I love that name of our God.
A confident expectation with regard to the future. And I do
have a confident expectation with regard to the future because
God's God. The God of hope. with all joy and peace in believing." Believing. Those two blind fellows
came up to the Lord, groped their way in, He said, what do you
want? What do you want me to do for
you? And they said, Lord, that we
might receive our sight. We're blind. We can't see. He
said, do you believe that I'm able to do this? They said, yea,
Lord. He said, according to your faith,
be it unto you. Do you believe that he is able? to do this. That's what faith
is. And what joy there is in believing
He is able. What peace there is in believing
that He is able. And one last thing I'd like to
say about this kingdom. We read in Revelation chapter
1 verse 9 of the kingdom and the patience. The patience of Jesus Christ. You know, the Lord's patient.
He's patient. He never worries. He's never
stressed. He's patient. He's all powerful. Everything that happens is because
he decreed it. He already knows the end. It's not like he's worried
about the outcome. The outcome's already been determined. The outcome's actually been,
it's taken care of. We know the last chapter of the
book. Already know the end of the story. Jesus Christ wins. His enemies are defeated. Every
believer is perfectly justified, conformed to the image of Christ.
Already know the end. And you know what? God gives
me grace to believe that. I'm patient. I'm not worried. Like watching a ball game after
it's already been won and you're just watching the tape. You're
patient. You're not upset about what's
going to happen. You already know the outcome. The kingdom
and the patience of our Lord Jesus Christ. Isn't it wonderful
to be in the kingdom of God? The keys to this kingdom. Remember
where The Lord said, Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man,
am? And they said, Well, some say you're John the Baptist,
others Jeremiah, one of the prophets. They put you in some high content.
They give you an impressive resume. They compare you to some very
great men. I don't realize, I'm not real sure if they knew how
derogatory that was. But then he said, Whom say ye
that I, the Son of Man, am? Peter said, Thou art the Christ,
the Son of the living God. And he said, Blessed art thou,
Simon Bar-Jonah, flesh and blood, I haven't revealed this to thee,
but my Father which is in heaven. And thou art Peter, and upon
this rock this confession of me. I'll build my church, and
the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." You see, the simple
proclamation of the gospel will knock down the gates of hell
and deliver everybody that Christ intends to save, even all of
God's elect. And he said, and I've given to
you the keys of the kingdom. What are the keys of the kingdom?
This confession of Him. Thou art the Christ. God's anointed. God's anointed prophet, priest,
and king. The Son of the Living God. And you know what? I say with
this, Lord says, who do you say that I am? You know what I say?
Thou art the Christ. The Son of the Living God. Let's pray together.

The Kingdom of Christ

What does the Bible say about the kingdom of Christ?

How do we know the kingdom of God is within us?

Why is righteousness important in the kingdom of God?

How does one enter the kingdom of heaven?

What is the significance of the scepter of righteousness in Christ's kingdom?

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The Kingdom of Christ

What does the Bible say about the kingdom of Christ?

How do we know the kingdom of God is within us?

Why is righteousness important in the kingdom of God?

How does one enter the kingdom of heaven?

What is the significance of the scepter of righteousness in Christ's kingdom?

Sermon Transcript

About Todd Nibert

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