Feast: Let Him Who Glories Glory in This (Part Two)
Seeing the Kingdom of God
#FT26-02
Mark Schindler
Given 27-Sep-26; 55 minutes
description: Jeremiah 9:23-24 redirects glory from human strength to knowing God's kindness and righteousness. David's spiritual evolution—from self-focused righteousness in Psalm 18 to dependent mercy in Psalm 51—illustrates this shift. True kingdom citizenship, affirmed in Matthew 25, is marked by serving others, while Jeremiah 7-11 warns against the stagnation of self-reliance. Grace and the kingdom are inseparable; though complex, the divine plan unfolds through simple, progressive faith. Ultimately, Christ's work culminates in delivering a perfected kingdom to the Father, destroying death and establishing eternal righteousness, a magnificent plan in which God's people currently play a vital role.
transcript:
Just a little over a week ago on the Sabbath, just before atonement, I gave what I had hoped would be the first in a series of three sermons with our key scripture, Jeremiah 9:23. So begin, let's begin by turning to Jeremiah 9 and verse 23. Jeremiah 9:23 Within the middle of what God was excoriating Israel. But he came back and gave us the hope. He said, thus says the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his own, his wisdom. Let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches, but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows me. Just what Craig was talking about, we are learning to understand and know God. Who understands and knows me that I am the Lord exercising loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth, for in these I delight, says the Lord. We can never remove Jeremiah 9:23-24 from our minds because I believe in these two verses our great God encapsulate His incredible work throughout the entirety of the Bible regarding the kingdom of God and the opportunity for men to have our part in it. God is also issuing a warning here in regards to how easily all the gifts He alone can give may become a trap that will lead to disaster if we do not continue to change. With our focus on him. And the ultimate work that he is doing exercising loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness. You may find this sermon today a bit negative when we continue through it during these days rejoicing with a focus on the wonderful World Tomorrow and the incredible hope that is before us in continuing our march back toward the kingdom of God. But what I hope to accomplish this morning for us is to greatly appreciate why we are here and what we need to do with the great gifts God is going to give us this week, especially. To keep our focus where it belongs and the awesome gifts he has given to each one of you to change from the way we have lived within the kingdoms of this world under Satanic rule to what is already ours as God sees it as members of His family in His kingdom if we continue on. This is a completely unique gift that has only been given up to this time to those specifically called from from before we were born within God's plan that He has been working with exercising His loving kindness. His perfect judgment and his righteousness since before he created. The angels The kingdom of God has always been there. I can say this with a certainty because we know that He is the one who inhabits eternity and declares the end from the beginning. What I hope to do in these next two sermons is to help us see that the good news of the kingdom of God and God's work to perfectly establish our place within it. Has been God's focus as recorded in this wonderful book in front of you from the beginning to the end. Sometimes we, I think we limit the reality of the kingdom of God to the New Testament and its preaching by Jesus Christ, but we really need to understand that the kingdom of God has always been the issue and those that God is perfecting to be part of it in righteousness. I think all of us clearly see in the Old Testament. That God presents a type of the kingdom and the direct rule over the people that He has chosen from all the nations of the earth to be a physical type of the kingdom of God. Their status among the nations of this world as as his was formalized with the covenant at Sinai. As a physical people, God even knew that they were, they would ask for a king like the nations around them. It was not a surprise to Him. His in His sovereignty God continued to exercise His loving kindness, judgment and righteousness through the Davidic line from a man He purposely made after his own heart. Who clearly recognized God's sovereign authority as a called King beyond Israel into the kingdom of God. David was one of the few we can recognize who God actually called out of the world to fulfill his plan moving forward in the Old Testament. David was a unique personality set apart only only as a few others throughout the Old Testament, such as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. David was a unique personality throughout the Old Testament. He was specifically set apart with a heart and a spirit. That had not been given to others at that time. But I want us to see a contrast that we can all recognize, and it has probably might have something to do with what Craig was talking about this. This moving forward. Learning to to know God. So I want us to start in Psalm 18. So if you'll turn with me back to Psalm 18, please. This is as David grew to know God. And this was early on because it was the time when he had been delivered from Saul. So we are going to read a little bit of it because I think it's important to see David's mind. At the time, at the time, younger in his years. In Psalm 18:1 it says, I will love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my strength in whom I trust, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised. So shall I be saved from my enemies. The pangs of death surround me, and the floods of ungodliness make me afraid. The sorrows of Shiel. Surrounded me, the snares of death confronted me. In my distress, I called upon the Lord and cried out to my God, and he heard, he heard my voice from His temple, and my cry came before his ears. John verse 16. He sent from above. He took me. He drew me out of the many waters. He delivered me from strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too strong for me. They confronted me at the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my support. He also brought me into a broad place. He delivered me because He delighted in me. The Lord rewarded me according to my, according to my righteousness. According to the cleanliness of my hands, he had compassed me, for I had, I have kept the ways of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all His judgments were before me, and I did put away, and I did not put away His statutes from me. I was also blameless before Him, and I kept from myself from iniquity. Therefore, the Lord has recompensed. Me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanliness of my hands in his sight. Down verse 28. For you Will light my lamp. The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness, for by you I can run against a troop. By my God I can leap over a wall. As for God, His way is perfect. The word of the Lord is proven. He is a shield to all who trust Him. Without a doubt, David was new God. But as Craig just said, this is all an exercise to really come to know God, and this was a young David after he was beaten in a, after he was triumphed over Saul because God put him there. But notice in that where he talked a number of times about he kept the laws and it was his righteousness. We all know this because this is what we are supposed to be doing. But now I want you to turn to Psalm 51 and we all know what this is after. This is a time quite later in David's life. When a strong and mighty David was a king Mighty king because of God. But over the time he had learned because He had made mistakes, some pretty bad ones. And here in this psalm of repentance is another aspect of David that must be in our own minds. David wrote, Have mercy upon me, O God. According to Your loving kindness. There is that loving kindness of God. According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin, for I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you only have I sinned and done this evil in your sight. That you may be found just when you speak and blameless when you judge. There it is again. Judgment from God's blameless perspective. Because David knew. As you know about yourselves that God had set him apart. And to have a spirit different from the physical nations he led. He was Could turn to God in repentance with a heart that was being made just like God's. I'm going to read the whole Psalm because there are words. These are words of a man as unique as you in God's calling to His plan and purpose in the order that He has carefully determined. Someone who truly recognized by this time the truth of God's sovereign kingdom and the relationship that each that God has put into that kingdom will have, as God does His perfect work to create members of His kingdom to be just like Him. Without going concern for others, so Again, we will pick it up. We already read verses 1 through 4, pick it up in verse 5. And David's thoughts continue as his prayer. Of repentance and change, behold, I was brought forth in iniquity and in sin my mother conceived me. Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts and in the hidden parts you will make me to know wisdom. Just think about the change of David's thought from Psalm 18 to here. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me. Here joy and gladness that the bones you have broken may rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence and do not take me, take your Holy Spirit from me. Brethren, here was a man that God had given His spirit. Who was like you and I, who had a clear path to eternal to God's kingdom. And he realized he could be throwing it away just like we could. It's not a once saved, always saved deal. And David understood that. Then the deeper he became closer to God, the more he understood it was God who was doing all the work. In verse 12, restore to me the joy of your salvation and uphold me by your generous spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and the sinners shall be converted to you. Notice David's turn was the outgoing concern for others just like God. Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue shall sing aloud of your righteousness, of your righteousness, not His. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth your praise, for you do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it. You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart. These, O God, you will not despise. Do good in your good pleasure to Zion. Build the walls of Jerusalem. Then you shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness with burnt offerings, whole burnt offering. Then they shall offer bulls on your altar. Notice here That throughout this David through the heart and spirit that God gave him truly recognized that whatever he did directly impacted his relationship with God Himself. It should remind us what Jesus Christ said his measure of judgment was going to be in Matthew. Um, 25. So let's turn to Matthew 25. We've been here a couple of times already within the last few weeks, and I think it's important for us to go here because this is what David understood. About God's judgment in relationships that are directly to God. Matthew 25 And then we are we are going to be reading verses. 31 all the way through 46. You're all very familiar with this, and I, I just want to repeat it because it's so important that we drive this into our minds. When the Son of Man comes in His glory when Jesus Christ sits on His throne at the judgment and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory, and the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from the other as a sheep divides his sheep, a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And he will sit, he will set the sheep on his right hand. But the goats on the left, then the king will say to those on his right hand, Come, you blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, for I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you took me in. I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to me. Then the righteous. The righteous will answer him, saying, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you, stranger, and take you in or naked and clothe you? Or when did we see you sick or in prison and come to you? And the kingdom king will answer and say to them, assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these, my brethren, you did it to me. Then he would also say to them on the left hand, depart from me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food. I was thirsty and you gave me no drink. I was a stranger and you did not take me in naked and you did not clothe me. Sick in prison and you did not visit me. Then they also will answer him saying, Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not minister to you. Then he will answer and say to them, assuredly I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me. And then these will go into everlasting punishment, but the righteous. Into eternal life Their righteousness was because they understood that everything they did. was in a relationship. With Jesus Christ. You know, Nancy and I, when we got to the feast this year, we had a real tough time even trying to figure out if we could get here. And we've got some pretty difficult problems like Clyde talked about the other day with all of us. And we wouldn't be here today if it was not for a fine couple we know who made sure that we got here, did everything they could to get us into our room, to move us from room to room, and get us settled so we could get here. We wouldn't be here today if it was not for them. We wouldn't have been in the room we were in today if it was not for a couple of young men. That the the gravies and the babies really need to be proud of. Who took everything we had and moved to another room when they finally decided how to do it. Nancy and I can't do it. We could not do it. It was because those men are being taught by their parents. That when they were serving us, they were serving Jesus Christ, not because of us, but because of who's behind us, and this is how we need to respond with each other. This is what we are here for. This is part of why we are here. This is part of the teaching we are going to get while we are here. David recognized what every citizen of the kingdom of God must, and the psalm ended with the very quality that must be in every one within God's kingdom outgoing concern for others as he was concerned for Israel, especially those whom God has placed or is in the process of placing under our care. Please start with me the first Chronicle. We're spending a little bit of time with David here because I think it's important because he's a real example that we need to follow. I Chronicles Twenty-ninth chapter. Here David is before the people declaring all that he has done to prepare of God's temple and encouraging them. This is toward the end of his life. To support the temple project as well as his son Solomon, who God had chosen to build it. But we are going to pick it up in verse 10 and what God And what God had given David to clearly see as the reality of what this physical temple represented. First cat was 29 and pick it up in verse 10. Therefore David blessed the Lord before all the assembly, and David said, Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our Father, for ever and ever. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty, for all that is in heaven and earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as a head over all. Both riches and honor come from you. And you reign over all. In your right hand is is power and might. In your hand it is great. It is to make great and to give strength to all. Now therefore, our God, we thank You and praise Your glorious name, verse 14, but who am I? And who are my people that we should be able to offer this so willingly as this, for all things come from you and of your own. Of your own we have, we have given you, for we are aliens and pilgrims before you. We are as, as we, as were all our fathers, our days on the earth, our shadow and without hope, O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have. Prepared to build you a house for your holy name is from your hand and is all your own. I know also, my God. That you test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart, I will willingly offer. I have willingly offered all these things, and now with joy I have seen your people who are present here to offer willingly to you, O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the intent of the thoughts of the hearts of Your people and fix their heart toward you and give my son Solomon a loyal heart to keep your commandments. And your testimonies and your statutes to do all these things and to build the temple for which I have made provisions. David clearly recognized the reality of the kingdom of God and his sovereign authority over all men to accomplish his work even though those whom he probably knew. were not given at that time what he had been given. And would Continue in the ways of the world's kingdoms. Including His own son Solomon. David was set apart. Brother and I spent a good deal of time on David, who God had determined to give the same heart and spirit that He has given to you. Because we need to see how much of a reality the kingdom of God was to him. As we need as God's gift to accomplish His purpose just as He has uniquely called each one of you. To do as David did, continue to see all wisdom, might, and riches are from God. And for His glory as God exercises loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness throughout the world. You brethren are just as unique as David in the order God has called you to continue to change even when you stumble to repent and remain a loyal subject of the kingdom of God that is literally the subject of this wonderful book from the beginning to the end. But as I said, I wanted us to see the other side of that which we must understand is also under God's sovereign authority. God has gone to great lengths to show us that without what God has given David as He has given you and me. We live in a world that continues without a heart of belief. Even those that God has physically separated from this world but without the heart and spirit as we see in Judah today. They do not have the heart and spirit that he has given you. And they will, they will end up glorying as they do in their own wisdom, in their own riches, and in their own might. We can't do that, brethren. We are spending a good deal of time on this today because before I really get into the meat of the incredible work of God to bring all men into His kingdom, I wanted us to realize just how precious our calling is. That is totally by the grace of God to do what David did, to change, as he recognized more clearly all the time, the reality of the kingdom of God. That he has already been That has been a main subject of this book from the beginning to the end. Remember these verses in Jeremiah 9. Come right after God excoriates His chosen nation for actually blending in with the kingdoms of this world. These were after David had studied that prayer that he hoped they would stay so, but without the spirit that he had, they did not. They chose to continue to slide backward, holding fast to the deceit and refusing to return to God's ways of righteousness. Rather, each man was holding on to his own course and even when confronted with the truth. And judgment to come, he declared, what have we done? They remained mired in their own self-determined wisdom that God was on their side. As I said a few minutes ago, you may find a good deal of the sermon a bit negative, but I want us to see without what God has clearly given you and me, like David, even those who are physically set apart as holy unto God. The kings of this world and self-centered behavior for one's own glory and of remaining their focus. And they make the subject of God's kingdom. Nothing. Our key scriptures are in Jeremiah 9:23, so we are going to go back there again. To see what could To see what we can find. In a number of other places regarding the ultimate end of those who will not. Who have not been gifted to recognize the sovereign authority of God and the reality of the kingdom that He has established so. They can Back it up to chapter 7. We're going to be reading verse 28. To 34. I'm reading this because I want us to understand what happens without this without this tremendous gift that you're sitting here with us today. Jeremiah 7:28, it's under the heading of my Bible Judgment of Obscene Religion. They had made God's religion obscene. So you shall say to them, this is a nation that does not obey the voice of the Lord their God. He's talking about Judah. Nor receive correction. Truth has perished and has been cut off from their mouth. Cut off your hair and cast it away. Take up a lamentation on the desolate heights, for the Lord has rejected and forsaken this generation of His wrath. For the children of Judah have done evil in my sight, says the Lord. They have set their abominations in the house which is called by my name to pollute it. And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the Son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in fire, which I did not command, nor did it come into my heart. Brother, I am doing this because I want us to keep in mind that if we do not. Continue in the path God's given us to make those changes as He shows them to us. This is how Far we descend back, we could descend back into this world, and this is what's going on all around us. Even to the point where their sons and daughters in the valley of Hennem. What's been going on in this world? Like Richard said on the opening night, it's getting worse. Verse 32. Therefore, behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when Israel will no more be called Tophet or the Valley of the Son of Hinom, but the Valley of slaughter, for they will bury in Tophet until there is no room. The corpses of this people will be food for the birds of the heaven and the beasts of the earth, and no one will frighten them away. Then I will cause to cease from the cities of Judah, from the streets of Jerusalem. The voice of mirth and voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, for the land shall be desolate. Because they descended back into the kingdoms of this world. Now turn with me to chapter 8 and verse 4. Moreover, you will say to them again to Judah, thus says the Lord. Will they fall and not rise? Will one turn away and not return? Why has this people slidden back? Jerusalem in a perpetual backsliding. They hold fast to the seat. They refuse to return. I listened and heard, but they did not speak aright. No man repented or changed of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? Everyone turned to his own course as a horse rushes into battle. Even the stork and heavens know of the appointed times, and the turtle dove, the swift, and the swallow observe the time of their coming. But my people do not know the judgment. Of the Lord remember God's working judgment. How can you say? We are wise And the law of the Lord is with us as they do in Judah today and so many in the world do. Look, the false pen of the scribes certainly works falsehood. The wise men are ashamed. They are dismayed and taken. Behold, they have rejoiced. Rejected the word of the Lord. So what wisdom do they have? They're glorying in their own wisdom, and this is what it got them. Jeremiah 11. One more Jeremiah 11:1. Cause I want you to see But without God's spirit, without what gave us, God gave us, and He had given to David, but gave us through Jesus Christ. They made a covenant, and they wouldn't keep it. Chapter 11 and verse 1. The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, Here are the words of this covenant and speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and say to them, Thus said the Lord God of Israel, Cursed is the man who does not obey the words of this covenant which I commanded your fathers in the day. That I brought them out of the land of Egypt from the iron furnace, saying, Obey my voice and do according to all I command you. So shall you be my people, and I will be your God, that I may establish the oath which I have sworn to your fathers to give them a land flowing with milk and honey as it is this day. And I, and I answered and said, So be it, Lord. Then the Lord said to me, Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem, saying, Here are the words of the covenant, and do them, for I earnestly exhorted your fathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt until the day, rising early and exhorting, saying, Obey my voice. Yet they did not obey and inclined their ear. But everyone followed the dictates of his evil heart. Therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant which I commanded them to do but which they have not done. And the Lord said to me, A conspiracy has been found among the men of Judah and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Brethren, who's the author of conspiracies? They had slipped right back. Into the kingdoms of this world. And God's showing us this without His strength, His power, His spirit. Without being able to glory in all that he is exercising. In his righteousness and judgment throughout The wharf we wouldn't have part, but we can glory in the fact that we know him and understand him as we sit here and learn these things we went through this. Because it is vital that we recognize how incredible our calling is to know the reality of the kingdom of God now as we are going to see it past, present, and future. From the beginning of this book The kingdom of God was in place. At the time of halal. He will cover God's throne. It's always been there But what did Kal do? We can't do that, and God's not going to allow that to happen. His kingdom is going to be righteousness. This series of of sermons. Were the result of some of of some correspondence that I had with someone who sent a question to the church. And I hope you will recognize in this small section of correspondence that without what God has given you to truly as a truly unique group who can now share His glory. As he says there in Jeremiah 9:24. We can they stay stuck in their own glory, in their own righteousness, in their own might, and their own wisdom. In part of our correspondence. Began this way with this man in August of of an August Parien after an August Parien, he wrote, thank you for your concise description. This the man wrote this. Of the gospel taught by Jesus Christ in your newsletter on 8-28-26 Matthew Mark 1:14:15. The true gospel Jesus's message of the kingdom. Question, is the gospel of the kingdom that Jesus and His disciples taught different from the gospel of grace that Paul taught? I'm well aware that most of the people we receive questions from these days in this wonderful world of blogs and spouting your own opinions often are not looking for the answer but an argument. So I am very careful to begin the answers simply and often with links to reference material. But always Aware of the possibility that God could be calling somebody. As Martin has said in the past, though, there are many religious hobbyists out there who already have their minds set, but we still need to test the waters, so to speak, in case God is sending someone to us who seriously wants to learn truth. So my response was rather simple, but with enough food for thought. If he wanted to truly pursue it, he could. So I wrote God opened the door for the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom of God to the Gentiles through the apostle Peter, but the point, man, that Christ resurrected Christ. Personally taught and sent to teach the good news of the kingdom of God to the Gentiles was Paul. However, the newly converted Paul had to contend with quite a few false teachers that were teaching salvation by works. These perversions of the truth were coming from both Gentiles and Jews while the Gentiles were steeped in the rituals of their gods. There were also Jews who were claimed Gentile converts had to become Jews first, following their man-made ritual customs. I continued in my response. Therefore, much of Paul's letters seemed to focus on a vital part of the gospel of the kingdom of God, grace. This is why Paul describes his ministry as testifying to the gospel of grace of God, because, as noted, it was a foundational part that needed to be understood first by those whom he was sent to teach the good news of the kingdom of God. Grace and salvation are part of the gospel of the kingdom of God rather than a separate gospel. Consider the following verses I wrote where Paul succinctly ties what he was teaching about the grace of God to what he consistently taught in his travels, the gospel of the kingdom of God, and that was sent to preach to the Gentiles. Acts 20:24-25, he said, But none of these things move me, nor do I count my life dear to myself. So that I may finish my race with joy and ministry which I received from the Lord to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. And indeed now I know that you all among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God will see my face no more. I wrote in one of his last things Peter himself wrote that he declared the importance of understanding what Paul was teaching within the within the gospel of the kingdom of God to the Gentiles. Where Peter wrote in chapter 3 of 2 Peter, Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace without spot and blameless, and consider those things that the long suffering our Lord is salvation, as also our brother beloved brother Paul. Taught according to the wisdom given to him, he has written to you, as also in all his epistles speaking in those things, in those things, things which are. Hard to understand which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction as they do the rest of the scriptures. Therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you fall from your own steadfastness. I finished preaching the gospel focused solely on a grace was never Paul's intention, but through the wisdom given to him by God, it was a key. For helping the Gentiles understand the totality of Jesus Christ's message of the kingdom of God. And then I finished with the last paragraph I wrote. You may find it helpful to follow this link to a conversation with Paul. This is a short audio sermonette by a man who understands what many find hard to understand. He employs a fictional conversation with the apostle Paul to explain what Paul was doing in his efforts to teach the gospel of the kingdom. Although I've cited the majority of his response, I'll only pick out a few things coming up that he noted and I hope will help you see that without the tender heart and spirit that God has given to each and every one of you. In order, in the order that he has determined what should be simple to us is just confusion to those mired in the glory of their own wisdom, might, and righteousness. The man wrote a very lengthy reply, Dear Mister Schindler. Thank you for your reply to my question. Is the gospel the King of Jesus and His disciples thought different from the gospel of grace? Referenced the Brian. Um, Jesus' announcement of the good news. Is that the Father will establish his kingdom and his capital on the earth. He himself will be here, no longer separated from his children, no longer unseen and ruling indirectly through agents from his present location in heaven. This man wrote, Here is what I understand from your response that describes the difference. Um, first, God through Peter opened the door for Paul to preach to the Gentiles. Paul preached the kingdom of God to the Gentiles. Paul's letters focused on grace, called it the gospel of grace. The gospel of grace is foundational to understanding the gospel of the kingdom. Grace and salvation are part of the gospel of the kingdom. Not separate. Paul was sent. He's picking these out of what I responded to him. Paul received his ministry. From the Lord Jesus to testify the gospel, to testify to the gospel of grace of God, Paul taught the kingdom to the Ephesian elders. Peter declared important importance of understanding what Paul was teaching within the Gospel of the kingdom, and then Peter writes believers that long suffering in the Lord, and that Paul's teaching was a key for helping the Gentiles understand the totality of Jesus Christ's message of the kingdom of God. And then he puts Which Paul seems to have omitted completely from his writings. In conclusion, Paul's gospel is part of the gospel of the kingdom, but A vital part seems to be missing from the gospel of the kingdom. Something about Jesus dying to save the world. From it from its sins and the hope for eternal life. So Paul's gospel focuses on repentance part. Peter's gospel focuses on returning the Messiah and establishment of the king on the earth. And then he writes in all his writings Paul seems to have omitted the part about the kingdom being established on the earth. Yet Paul goes on quite a bit about the last trumpet and how dead will rise first and the living next and will meet Jesus in the air and spend time with Him. I am still confused about what is meant by the gospel of the kingdom and gospel of grace. We need to write them down concisely so we can compare them directly to each other. Like they are written in this book. I was, and this is what he told me, I will assign you the more difficult task of writing down conclusively the gospel of the kingdom of God is when you have it, please send it to me. I will take on the task of writing down the Gospel of grace is at least as best that I can glean it from the writers of Paul. At the outset, it seems to me that Peter's Gospel is centered on the 1000 years on peace on the earth, while Paul's Gospel is centered on the afterlife somewhere else. The man immediately before I had the opportunity to send a response said the following concisely what is the gospel of the kingdom of God? Jesus said he had to preach the gospel of the kingdom of God, but nowhere does he say what it is. Every verse that mentions the kingdom of God is like the following The time is fulfilled. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the gospel. What specifically is the good news to which he is referring? Since he was so determined, determined to have an immediate answer to something that takes up the space of this whole book. is led by God's Holy Spirit. I did not Before I could report upon, I did not cut to turn, try to cut him off, but in the hopes that someone else could give a clearer overview of the kingdom of God. May I may assuage his confusion, I responded, Perhaps you may find it helpful to follow this link to the kingdom of God. This is an audio sermon along with its transcript that Richard Wrightmois gave at the Feast of Tabernacles a number of years ago. Hopefully you will find it helpful in your efforts to understand an overview of the kingdom of God. My correspondence with this fellow began to form itself into these messages and how much we all should be thanking God for the heart, spirit, and mind that only He can give. But this response to my last concise statement Really pointed me. Jeremiah 9:23-24 because it seems in his last comment. We had quite a bit in common. But the separation of understanding was vast. But only by the grace of God and His calling as He sees fit. The man wrote back to me after that. Thank you. For your quick response, I produced the transcript from the kingdom for the kingdom of God, and it is clear the author has put much thought into the writing. The The transcript provides a lot of pertinent information that will take much time to absorb and sort out, but it does not answer my question in a concise manner. What is the gospel of the kingdom of God? And then he quotes Mark 1:14-15. Now John was put in prison. Jesus came to Galilee preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God and saying the time is fulfilled. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel. That is what did Jesus and His disciples preach as the gospel of the kingdom of God. I will spend more time with the transcript to see if I can ferret out an answer to my question. I feel that the gospel of the kingdom of God has to be simple, otherwise no one could preach it and no one could understand it. Except you He finished, I'm an engineer by training. When the customer asked a question that was difficult to understand succinctly, we buried him in data with the intention for him to have to sort it out. Brethren, as an electrician by trade and someone who spent a great deal of time in my younger days trying to understand how things worked. I found that the most complex electrical systems boiled down to a simple on and off switch. Whether it was a massive supercomputer, a smartphone, or a digital watch, everything relies on the ability to control the flow of electricity by turning it on and off. I would spend hours, days, weeks trying to dig into the complexities of the circuits, but it was always with the goal of determining. Simply the path of the current through which the simple switches that made up the most complex and multifaceted circuits and it would drive me nuts if I could not boil it down to a Nancy's over there laughing. Boil it down to what I knew were simple switches that drove the most complex of the machinery. The complex circuitry has increased over the years to be smaller and faster, but it is always the same. However, today, as opposed to mechanical switches and relays. Where you could actually see 10s and hundreds of switches operate in a type of faith, we measure input and output from tiny semiconductors using a small electrical signal to turn a large current on or off with billions of them sitting on a single silicone chip. All those switches, I understand his point of frustration from an engineer's point of view without with not seeing the kingdom of God is a simple statement, but with God's Holy Spirit, what is clear to us from the beginning to the end of the Bible. OK. The kingdom of God and all its complexities boil down to moving forward in faith, understanding the simplicity of the truth of God's word and all those switches that he can see. In spite of the complex work of God over the whole earth in loving kindness, righteousness, and judgment, we continue to examine the parts as He opens up to His elect who are willing to walk in faith and change the current of the Spirit in man to let that current flow more fully toward the kingdom of God in our hearts. It is an it is one on and off switch at a time. When we work with God to flip those switches as He reveals them to us. That man, that engineer who apparently can only glory in his own wisdom, might, and righteousness will one day see what we here this week to discuss and understand more fully about the great and holy God. We glory in that his kingdom and all its incredible facets are only seen throughout this book by those. Whom he who have been called to know and understand him As we walk in faith knowing that everything is being done past, present, and future by Him in loving kindness, righteousness, and judgment that we might know and understand Him, it is being done to bring about something. That to my mind is beyond the ability to comprehend. We're going to take a bigger overview of the kingdom of God, past, present, and future in the next sermon, but I want to leave you with something to think about. That I have found astounding over the last months. As I thought about it, that comes from the apostle Paul. In I Corinthians 15, I think Craig was there today, um. I Corinthians 15 This in fact contradicts what that man said about Paul never preaching the kingdom of God, but there is something beyond that, but we will pick it up in verse 20. I Corinthians 15. And in verse 20. But now Christ is risen from the dead and has become the first roots of those who have fallen asleep, for since by man came death. By man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as Adam all die. Even so in Christ all shall be made alive, but each one in his own order. Christ the first fruits after those who are Christ's at His coming. Then comes the end when He delivers the kingdom of God. Notice Paul mentioned the kingdom of God. Delivers the kingdom of God to the Father when he puts an end to all rule and all authority and power of this world. For he must reign till he has put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy That will be destroyed His death Brethren, please meditate on this before the next sermon. In Christ's work in loving kindness, righteousness, and judgment over the earth, He will place the whole perfected kingdom of God under the Father. But look again at that last phrase. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. Let that ruminate in your minds what he is doing in a way too too complex for my feeble mind. To grasp is completely destroying death. As you said But when he completely destroys death, what has he done? He creates ever eternal righteousness that there is no sin ever, ever, ever. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. The flip side of that What he has done is create perfect righteousness in God's kingdom. For eternity Next time we will give take a Get back to the short overview of God's magnificent work of loving kindness, righteousness, and justice that is making this the reality which we continue to move towards in faith. Turning those simple switches. As God continues to show them to us and He's going to continue doing it for the perfection that's going to be in His kingdom, never to be changed, and you've got a part in this right now, so stay the path and keep your eyes open and listen to those switches that are being told you to to turn on now.
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