A.      Is the kingdom of God in heaven?  Is it on earth in the church?  Will it come to earth with the second coming of Christ?  Does it exist now?  How can we enter into the kingdom of God?

B.      These are questions that we will seek to answer in this short series of lessons on the kingdom of God.

II.      DIFFERENT VIEWPOINTS OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD

A.      A broad view of God’s kingdom is that it is the entire realm over which God has authority and power.

                                                             1.      In this sense, everything and everybody is in God’s kingdom, for He (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) has authority and power over everything and everybody by virtue of being the Creator (Gen. 1:1; Ps. 50:10-12; 115:3; 1Tim. 6:15-16).

                                                             2.      Currently, the Father has given Christ all authority in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:18; 1Cor. 15:20-28; Col. 1:15-18) so that everyone is subject and accountable to Him (2Cor. 5:10).

B.      This broad view of God’s kingdom is true, but the Scripture mostly speaks in narrower terms of an eternal kingdom of God.

                                                             1.      It is evident that when Christ spoke of entering or inheriting the kingdom of God, He was not speaking of the entire realm of God’s authority (for everyone would already be in it).  He was speaking of a special and eternal kingdom in which only a relatively few persons would enter.

a.       Matthew’s account of Christ’s life often refers to this eternal kingdom as “the kingdom of heaven,” which differentiates it from God’s realm of authority on earth.

b.       The eternal kingdom of God was prophesied by Daniel, who said, “In the days of those kings (the Romans) the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever” (Dan. 2:44).

c.        The establishment of the eternal kingdom of God and its terms of entrance will be discussed in later lessons.

                                                             2.      The eternal kingdom of heaven was the meaning of the Lord when He said to Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36).

a.       The phrase “not of this world” indicates that Christ’s kingdom is not derived from this world.  He did not obtain His kingdom through the normal worldly means (politics, force, etc.) because His is not a worldly kingdom.

b.       In this same verse, Christ also explained, “If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.”

i.         Certainly, Peter would have fought if the Lord allowed him (John 18:10-11), and so would have twelve legions of angels from heaven (Matt. 26:52-53).

ii.        Here we should notice that those who attempt to expand the borders of God’s kingdom through force (the Crusades, the Inquisition, etc.) or any other worldly influence (entertainment, social gospel, etc.) do not understand the unworldly nature of the kingdom.

C.      The eternal kingdom of God is not of this world, but it does have a presence in this world.

                                                             1.      Notice how the Lord answered when He was questioned by the Pharisees about when the kingdom of God was coming in Luke 17:20-21 – “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.”

a.       The phrase “in your midst” literally means “within you.”  Whereas the Pharisees and others were looking for the outward signs of a worldly kingdom (wars, armies, etc.), Christ’s kingdom had no such signs, for it is an unseen kingdom within the hearts of its citizens (more on this later).

b.       The presence of the citizens of God’s kingdom within this world is how God’s kingdom has a presence here.

i.         The kingdom is within its citizens, and some of its citizens are in the world.

ii.        Notice that Paul wrote, “For our citizenship is in heaven…” (Phil. 3:20).

                                                             2.      The manifestation of God’s eternal kingdom in the world today is the Lord’s church.

a.       Members of the church, i.e., Christians, have been “rescued...from the domain of darkness, and transferred…to the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Col. 1:13).

b.       It is the church that will not be overpowered by the gates of Hades (Matt. 16:18), which means that members of Christ’s church will not be held by the power of death.  They are part of that kingdom of God which will endure forever.

III.   THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS…

A.      The kingdom of God is the kingdom in which all the faithful from all times and nations will dwell forever.

                                                             1.      Notice Luke 13:28-29 – “In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being thrown out.  And they will come from east and west and from north and south, and will recline at the table in the kingdom of God.”  (Compare this passage to Matt. 8:11-12; 13:47-50.)

a.       The Lord spoke these words to Jews who rejected Him.  They forfeited their place in the kingdom of heaven with their fleshly fathers (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) because they did not imitate the faith of their fathers (see Gal. 3:7-9, 28-29).

b.       This passage shows that faithful people from all dispensations of time will dwell in the kingdom.  Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the prophets, who lived during past dispensations, will be joined in the kingdom of God by all faithful souls from the dispensation of Christ.

c.        This passage also shows that all nationalities (believing Gentiles and Jews) will enter the kingdom, for they will come from east, west, north, and south (compare to Isa. 2:1-4).

                                                             2.      According to 1Corinthians 15:20-28, when the Lord comes again at the end of time, He will collect those who are His and “deliver up the kingdom to the God and Father.”  It is at that time that the faithful “shall always be with the Lord” according to 1Thessalonians 4:13-18.

B.      The kingdom of God is often defined in terms of the character of its King and citizens.

                                                             1.      So many of the parables that Jesus told regarding the kingdom of heaven pertain to this character.  Most of these parables begin with the phrase, “The kingdom of heaven is like…”

a.       The parable of the sower (Matt. 13:3-23; Mark 4:1-20) demonstrates how citizens of the kingdom will receive the word of God and bear fruit.

b.       The parables of the hidden treasure (Matt. 13:44) and the pearl of great value (Matt. 13:45-46) illustrate the desire citizens have for their kingdom.

c.        The parable of the head of the household (Matt. 13:52) illustrates the wisdom and knowledge of citizens of the kingdom.

d.       The parable of the unmerciful servant (Matt. 18:21-35) portrays the compassion of Christ and how it should be reflected in citizens of the kingdom.

e.        The parable of the two sons (Matt. 21:28-32) demonstrates the repentance and obedience of citizens of the kingdom.

f.        The parables of the marriage feast (Matt. 22:1-14) and ten virgins (Matt. 25:1-13) illustrate Christ’s expectation for citizens of the kingdom to be prepared for Him.

g.        The parable of the growling seed (Mark 4:26-29) shows how citizens of the kingdom will work for Christ.

                                                             2.      It is by this character that the kingdom is within the hearts of its citizens.  Citizens of the kingdom of God show evidence of the kingdom within them by displaying this character on earth (Matt. 5:13-16).

C.      The kingdom of God is now in existence.

                                                             1.      Christ is now seated on the throne of David in heaven at the right hand of God (Acts. 2:22-36).  He reigns now, and His kingdom is already in effect.

                                                             2.      The New Testament speaks often to the current existence of the kingdom of God.

a.       Paul wrote that Christians are “fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household” (Eph. 2:11-22), thus implying the existence of the kingdom.

b.       Peter wrote, “You once were not a people, but now you are the people of God” (1Pet. 2:9-10).

c.        John wrote that Christ “has made us to be a kingdom” (Rev. 1:6; see also Rev. 5:10).

                                                             3.      The current existence of God’s kingdom dispels the false doctrine of premillennialism, which teaches that Christ will set up His kingdom on earth when He comes again.

IV.    CONCLUSION

A.      In short, perhaps it is best to consider the kingdom of God as a state of being rather than a place to go.

B.      In the lessons to come, we will consider how the kingdom was established and how we may enter into it.