Giddings Church of Christ
Are You Living In The Kingdom?

      • Daniel 2:44–45NASB95

      • Daniel 7:13–14NASB95

      • Bible Trivia
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  • Psalm 23 NASB95
    A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
    Is The Lord Your Shepherd?
    for some us God is a footnote, irrelevant, distant in the corner of our life not important to our daily life.
    for some of us God is somebody we visit on weekends briefly then forget about him the rest of the week.
    for some of us may not be sure he exist at all.
    for some of us he is our faithful and close companion everyday.
    for some of us God is our healer just when we really need it, our help only when we are struggling, he’s our friend when its convenient , and our ruler or master hardly ever.
    Can you make the same claim that the Psalmist makes, “THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD”?
    Brothers & sisters we as sheep are weak, vulnerable, & dumb, needy, wandering, & dependent. Too many people in the world think we are wolves, that we are strong and don’t need anybody but that is an illusion. At some point God/life will show us that we are weak and we are sheep and we always need a Shepherd
    In fact in John 10 we find out that their are thieves and robbers around us and we need a Shepherd to protect us.
    John 10:1 ““Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber.” Jn. 10:8 ““All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.” John 10:10 ““The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”
    We have a good one if we will listen and follow Him?
    ​
    John 10:11 NASB95
    “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
    This passage has roots in O.T scripture. The leaders of God’s people were supposed to lead them but they weren’t
    Ezekiel 34:10–16 NASB95
    ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will demand My sheep from them and make them cease from feeding sheep. So the shepherds will not feed themselves anymore, but I will deliver My flock from their mouth, so that they will not be food for them.” ’ ” For thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. “As a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for My sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day. “I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams, and in all the inhabited places of the land. “I will feed them in a good pasture, and their grazing ground will be on the mountain heights of Israel. There they will lie down on good grazing ground and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. “I will feed My flock and I will lead them to rest,” declares the Lord God. “I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken and strengthen the sick; but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with judgment.
    IN Ezek. God say he will shepherd His people. Jesus says in John 10 “I am the good Shepherd”. He is God and He is the Shepherd! That’s what makes him such a good shepherd, the perfect shepherd
    Is the Lord... is God... is Jesus your shepherd?
    The fundamental statement of Ps. 23 “The Lord is my shepherd” denotes - that you can have other shepherds. politicians, emotions, friends, passions,
    Psalm 23 NASB95
    A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
    I shall not want why? because he is my shepherd. he, he , he
    I will Fear no evil why? because The lord is my shepherd he is with me
    Is the Lord your shepherd?
    Why would you not let Jesus be your shepherd?
    John 10:11 NASB95
    “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
    John 10:14 NASB95
    “I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me,
    Jesus is a wonderful/good shepherd we need a guide, a protector, a provider you need to feed and nurtured. There is no better shepherd. No matter what you are going through in life Jesus is there. He’s not like the thief and the robber or the hired hand.
    John 10:10 NASB95
    “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
    John 10:12–13 NASB95
    “He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. “He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep.
    Are you one of God’s sheep?
    Let’s take a sheep test!

    1)Jesus sheep hear his voice!

    John 10:3–5 NASB95
    “To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. “When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. “A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.”
    Matthew 7:24 NASB95
    “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.
    You may be saying this morning I am here of course I listen to the voice of the shepherd? what about tomorrow? when you are at work? When you are at school? When siting on the couch watching t.v.?
    The reason we need to listen to his voice
    John 12:48 NASB95
    “He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day.
    John 12:49 NASB95
    “For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak.
    John 8:47 NASB95
    “He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.”
    Do you pick an choose the words you hear,do you only let part of his words in & filter out those words you don’t want to hear or are to difficult for you to hear?
    You have to let His words in and really let them work in your lives
    You have to listen to his word everyday all day. You must read his word
    first part of the sheep test
    Jesus sheep hear his voice?

    2) Jesus sheep know His voice!

    Do you recognize his voice, your friends voice, your own voice, the worlds voice, or the the devils voice?
    Can you tell its not Jesus speaking when they are speaking, their are preachers who don’t teach truth, can you tell. politicians?
    can you tell if it is his voice? How can you tell?
    John 10:4–5 NASB95
    “When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. “A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.”
    They listen to his voice so often and so regularly that they know his voice without even looking at him. We have to be so familiar with his voice by hearing it so many times every day.
    Many Christians today wouldn’t know whether it is his voice or not. they don’t listen daily to his voice they don’t have enough experience with him to know whether it is Jesus or not
    we need to hang around Jesus a lot. Again this isn’t just a Sunday & Wednesday thing. We must be around Jesus all the time.
    Sheep test:
    Jesus sheep hear his voice!
    Jesus sheep know His voice!

    3) Jesus sheep follow His voice!

    John 10:4–5 NASB95
    “When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. “A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.”
    they move, they act, based on his voice.
    Sheep make decisions based on his voice.
    Sheep make commitments based on his voice.
    Sheep reject certain things because of his voice.
    Jesus sheep will not follow a stranger!
    some of us are so gullible, would you know he’s not telling me right he is not leading me where they good shepherd would?
    Jesus sheep hear His voice
    Jesus Sheep know His voice!
    Jesus sheep follow His voice!

    IS THE LORD YOUR SHEPHERD TODAY & EVERYDAY?

    close relationship - they are with him everyday all day long. EVERYDAY
    Psalm 23 is the Lord my shepherd everyday? We like it at funerals, when I am sick.
    what about Tues afternoon I am walking with him through my Wed. Thurs. Fri.
    ​
    the shepherd is God - Jesus
    Listen to his word - hear
    let His Word change us - believe
    decide to to follow him repentance
    pledge allegiance - confession
    be united with him in baptism and you follow him everyday
    not a loose, part time relationship…it’s a daily all the time relationship
    P.S. Jesus is the Door
    if you are going to find spiritual safety you have to go through the DOOR when you go out you go out Through the DOOR. Jesus is the Door

    Are You following the good shepherd?

    notice I didn’t ask if you go to church. A lot of people go to church the real question is

    Are you following the Shepherd every day all day?

    ​
  • Psalm 23 NASB95
    A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
    Is The Lord Your Shepherd?
    for some us God is a footnote, irrelevant, distant in the corner of our life not important to our daily life.
    for some of us God is somebody we visit on weekends briefly then forget about him the rest of the week.
    for some of us may not be sure he exist at all.
    for some of us he is our faithful and close companion everyday.
    for some of us God is our healer just when we really need it, our help only when we are struggling, he’s our friend when its convenient , and our ruler or master hardly ever.
    Can you make the same claim that the Psalmist makes, “THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD”?
    Brothers & sisters we as sheep are weak, vulnerable, & dumb, needy, wandering, & dependent. Too many people in the world think we are wolves, that we are strong and don’t need anybody but that is an illusion. At some point God/life will show us that we are weak and we are sheep and we always need a Shepherd
    In fact in John 10 we find out that their are thieves and robbers around us and we need a Shepherd to protect us.
    John 10:1 ““Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber.” Jn. 10:8 ““All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.” John 10:10 ““The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”
    We have a good one if we will listen and follow Him?
    ​
    John 10:11 NASB95
    “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
    This passage has roots in O.T scripture. The leaders of God’s people were supposed to lead them but they weren’t
    Ezekiel 34:10–16 NASB95
    ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will demand My sheep from them and make them cease from feeding sheep. So the shepherds will not feed themselves anymore, but I will deliver My flock from their mouth, so that they will not be food for them.” ’ ” For thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. “As a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for My sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day. “I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams, and in all the inhabited places of the land. “I will feed them in a good pasture, and their grazing ground will be on the mountain heights of Israel. There they will lie down on good grazing ground and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. “I will feed My flock and I will lead them to rest,” declares the Lord God. “I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken and strengthen the sick; but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with judgment.
    IN Ezek. God say he will shepherd His people. Jesus says in John 10 “I am the good Shepherd”. He is God and He is the Shepherd! That’s what makes him such a good shepherd, the perfect shepherd
    Is the Lord... is God... is Jesus your shepherd?
    The fundamental statement of Ps. 23 “The Lord is my shepherd” denotes - that you can have other shepherds. politicians, emotions, friends, passions,
    Psalm 23 NASB95
    A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
    I shall not want why? because he is my shepherd. he, he , he
    I will Fear no evil why? because The lord is my shepherd he is with me
    Is the Lord your shepherd?
    Why would you not let Jesus be your shepherd?
    John 10:11 NASB95
    “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
    John 10:14 NASB95
    “I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me,
    Jesus is a wonderful/good shepherd we need a guide, a protector, a provider you need to feed and nurtured. There is no better shepherd. No matter what you are going through in life Jesus is there. He’s not like the thief and the robber or the hired hand.
    John 10:10 NASB95
    “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
    John 10:12–13 NASB95
    “He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. “He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep.
    Are you one of God’s sheep?
    Let’s take a sheep test!

    1)Jesus sheep hear his voice!

    John 10:3–5 NASB95
    “To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. “When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. “A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.”
    Matthew 7:24 NASB95
    “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.
    You may be saying this morning I am here of course I listen to the voice of the shepherd? what about tomorrow? when you are at work? When you are at school? When siting on the couch watching t.v.?
    The reason we need to listen to his voice
    John 12:48 NASB95
    “He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day.
    John 12:49 NASB95
    “For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak.
    John 8:47 NASB95
    “He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.”
    Do you pick an choose the words you hear,do you only let part of his words in & filter out those words you don’t want to hear or are to difficult for you to hear?
    You have to let His words in and really let them work in your lives
    You have to listen to his word everyday all day. You must read his word
    first part of the sheep test
    Jesus sheep hear his voice?

    2) Jesus sheep know His voice!

    Do you recognize his voice, your friends voice, your own voice, the worlds voice, or the the devils voice?
    Can you tell its not Jesus speaking when they are speaking, their are preachers who don’t teach truth, can you tell. politicians?
    can you tell if it is his voice? How can you tell?
    John 10:4–5 NASB95
    “When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. “A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.”
    They listen to his voice so often and so regularly that they know his voice without even looking at him. We have to be so familiar with his voice by hearing it so many times every day.
    Many Christians today wouldn’t know whether it is his voice or not. they don’t listen daily to his voice they don’t have enough experience with him to know whether it is Jesus or not
    we need to hang around Jesus a lot. Again this isn’t just a Sunday & Wednesday thing. We must be around Jesus all the time.
    Sheep test:
    Jesus sheep hear his voice!
    Jesus sheep know His voice!

    3) Jesus sheep follow His voice!

    John 10:4–5 NASB95
    “When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. “A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.”
    they move, they act, based on his voice.
    Sheep make decisions based on his voice.
    Sheep make commitments based on his voice.
    Sheep reject certain things because of his voice.
    Jesus sheep will not follow a stranger!
    some of us are so gullible, would you know he’s not telling me right he is not leading me where they good shepherd would?
    Jesus sheep hear His voice
    Jesus Sheep know His voice!
    Jesus sheep follow His voice!

    IS THE LORD YOUR SHEPHERD TODAY & EVERYDAY?

    close relationship - they are with him everyday all day long. EVERYDAY
    Psalm 23 is the Lord my shepherd everyday? We like it at funerals, when I am sick.
    what about Tues afternoon I am walking with him through my Wed. Thurs. Fri.
    ​
    the shepherd is God - Jesus
    Listen to his word - hear
    let His Word change us - believe
    decide to to follow him repentance
    pledge allegiance - confession
    be united with him in baptism and you follow him everyday
    not a loose, part time relationship…it’s a daily all the time relationship
    P.S. Jesus is the Door
    if you are going to find spiritual safety you have to go through the DOOR when you go out you go out Through the DOOR. Jesus is the Door

    Are You following the good shepherd?

    notice I didn’t ask if you go to church. A lot of people go to church the real question is

    Are you following the Shepherd every day all day?

    ​

  • Introduction

    It’s no secret that I love movies. It seems that some of the movies I love the most are about the times past. The times of kings and queens, knights and kingdoms. Movies like Brave-heart, First Knight, Robin Hood, The Kingdom of Heaven, King Arthur, Gladiator, Alexander. It was a time of heroism, truth & honor, commitment, struggle, perseverance, battles, wars and chivalry. The days of kings fascinates me. There have been many kingdoms throughout the span of history and some of the greatest kingdoms on the face of the earth are seen in the pages of scripture. In fact, in one book in particular we see 4 of the greatest human kingdom to rule the earth. Please turn with me to Daniel 2 as we examine the dream of Nebuchadnezzar that lays out the 4 great human kingdoms that were in existence and those that were to come. Starting in verse 31 we find the king telling Daniel his dream.
    Head - made of Gold
    breast & arms - made of silver
    belly & thighs - bronze
    legs - made of iron
    feet - made of iron & clay
    In verses 36ff Daniel interprets the dream for Nebuchadnezzar. The head of Gold is the kingdom of Babylon in which Nebuchadnezzar is the king, but he tells the king that after him there will rise another kingdom. The other kingdom will be the Medo-Persian kingdom & it was symbolized by silver, then there will be another the Greeks symbolized by bronze, and yet there will be another after that which was the Romans symbolized by iron & also iron & clay mixed. When we are looking at these 4 kingdoms. these were the biggest human kingdoms of anytime. Although we do have a few kingdoms left in the world today, none of them can come close to comparing with these 4 mighty kingdoms in which the world has not seen the likes of since they fell. In Daniel 7 we see again these four kingdoms and this time they are represented by four beast.
    lion with wings of an eagle - v. 4 - Babylon
    bear - Medo-Persian
    leopard with four wings and 4 heads - Grecian
    beast with horns and iron teeth - Roman empire
    each one of these kingdoms played a significant part in the plan of God yet each one was flawed and ultimately would come to an end. Each kingdom had laws, lands, leaders, the lead, limits. The Babylonians, Medo-Persians, & Greeks had kings as their leaders and the kings gave the laws. Kings like Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon and Cyrus, Darius, Xerxes in Persia and Alexander the Great in Greece. The Romans had Caesars and the senate that depending on the time made the laws of their kingdom. Each had lands that expanded with each kingdom with the most being ruled by Alexander the great. Each had people that were led by the rulers those he had been taken captive or incorporated into the kingdoms one way or another. But the thing that all of these had in common was they all had limits. Babylon ended in 539 BC, Alexander defeat the Medo-Persians 331 BC and Alexander dies in 323 BC and withing 22 years his kingdom is divided into 4 never to be the same again and then the roman empire enters the picture and ultimately its final fall or demise was in 476 AD. All of these kingdoms had limits and flaws and were destined form the very beginning to fail and disappear. But in Daniel 2 and 7 there is a fifth kingdom that is mentioned. This kingdom is much much different than the kingdoms that came before it. We read about this kingdom in ...
    Daniel 2:44–45 NASB95
    “In the days of those kings 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. “Inasmuch as you saw that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands and that it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold, the great God has made known to the king what will take place in the future; so the dream is true and its interpretation is trustworthy.”
    Notice that it was in the days of these kings that this kingdom would be established. It’s a kingdom that is made by God, and it will never be destroyed. this kingdom will not be left for another people - in other words this means their will not be another people that come along after it. In fact it says that this kingdom will crush all others and bring an end to them. Daniel 7 describes the same thing and give us some other details.
    Daniel 7:13–14 NASB95
    “I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. “And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations and men of every language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed.
    The Son of Man coming - which is Jesus. He comes up to the Ancient of Days - which is the 1st person of the Godhead - the father, and the father gives something to the Son. He was given dominion, glory, and kingdom. this kingdom would make up people from all of the world with many different languages and they would serve the Son. His dominion is everlasting, will not pass away, and will not be destroyed. What kingdom is this you might ask? It’s the kingdom of God, The church. What is this kingdom like you may be wondering.
    First of all this kingdom has a leader the Son of Man. The Son of Man was given dominion, glory and kingdom. He is the Christ = the anointed one = the messiah. Just like the kings of Gods people in the past Saul, David, and Solomon. Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit. Peter recognized this fact when he confess...
    Matthew 16:16 NASB95
    Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
    What was he confessing? He was saying the Jesus is the Christ the anointed one the Messiah the king of kings. Paul says He is...
    1 Timothy 6:15–16 NASB95
    which He will bring about at the proper time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.
    It is Jesus the lamb who sits on this throne according to...
    Revelation 5:13 NASB95
    And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.”
    later in Revelation there will be those that...
    Revelation 17:14 NASB95
    “These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.”
    Revelation 19:16 NASB95
    And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
    Jesus is reigning and he has been reigning and will reign. He will not leave his kingdom for another. He is the king of kings
    Secondly this kingdom is no like all the other kingdoms because this kingdom is a spiritual kingdom. It doesn’t have lands Per SE. This kingdom is going to fill the whole earth and it will be eternal, it will never end. In fact Jesus himself as he stands before Pilate confesses that his kingdom is not earthly but spiritual
    John 18:36 NASB95
    Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. 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.”
    in Matthew 3:2 ““Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.””
    Mark 1:15 “and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.””
    In Matt. 16 we see that the kingdom of heaven and the church are the linked, the same. Isn’t it ironic that one of the temptations that satan tried to tempt Jesus with all the kingdoms of the world..
    Matthew 4:8–9 NASB95
    Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.”
    Yet Jesus already knows that his kingdom is a heavenly one not an earthly one. In Daniel it tells us that it will be made up of all peoples, nations and men from every language. Who are these peoples?
    Thirdly this kingdom has people, those that are lead. Who are they? They are the citizens of this heavenly kingdom.
    Philippians 3:20 NASB95
    For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;
    these citizens are Christians. How did they become the citizens? Col. 1:13-14
    Colossians 1:13–14 NASB95
    For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
    you have to be transferred to the kingdom of the beloved Son. How does that happen? Eph. 2:13
    Ephesians 2:13 NASB95
    But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
    Revelation 1:5–6 NASB95
    and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood— and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
    Acts 22:16 NASB95
    ‘Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.’
    Fourthly this kingdom also has laws. You may have heard that there is no law in Christ. The scripture never say that there is no law and they never say that the law was bad but that it was a tutor for the one to come.
    Galatians 6:2 NASB95
    Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.
    1 Corinthians 9:21 NASB95
    to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law.
    yes the old law was nailed to the cross
    Colossians 2:14 NASB95
    having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
    He was talking about the old law, no law as a whole. We are no longer under law as a means of justification.
    Romans 8:2 NASB95
    For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
    1 Timothy 1:7–8 NASB95
    wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions. But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully,
    The citizens of the kingdom of heaven follow the king of kings Jesus the Christ, the anointed One, and we follow his law, and we come from all over the world in this spiritual kingdom. The kingdom that we are apart of is
    lastly, this kingdom that has no limits. The time of those ancient kingdoms ended.
    Hebrews 12:28 (NASB95)
    Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe;
    Jesus puts it this way...
    Matthew 16:18 NASB95
    “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.
    Revelation 20:7–10 (NASB95)
    When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison,
    and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore.
    And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them.
    And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
    This kingdom is forever, it’s eternal, will not come to end.
    ​
    why would you not want to be in the kingdom of God? Why would you not want to be lead by the King Of Kings who offered His own blood for you so that you could find forgiveness of sins through his blood, so that you can have redemption and salvation through his blood. Why wouldn’t you be washed in the blood of Jesus that you can be transferred into the kingdom of the beloved Son? Why would you not want to be a part of a kingdom that will never end?
    Will you live in that kingdom? Will you be obedient to His laws, for they are not burdensome.
    Are you in the kingdom? If not then what keeps you from being in that greatest kingdom of all, the kingdom of heaven, the church. Come to Jesus and be washed in his blood and he will transfer you into that kingdom and you will be a citizen and have all the rights of citizen of God’s kingdom. You will enjoy His blessings.
    If you are a citizen in the kingdom of God this morning; are you following the king, honoring the king and be obedient to his laws? Are you faithful?
    If you desire to be in the kingdom this morning or if you need help to be a more faithful citizen to that kingdom please come while we stand and sing.
    ​
    ​
    ​

      • Daniel 2:44–45NASB95

      • Daniel 7:13–14NASB95

      • Matthew 16:16NASB95

      • 1 Timothy 6:15–16NASB95

      • Revelation 5:13NASB95

      • Revelation 17:14NASB95

      • Revelation 19:16NASB95

      • John 18:36NASB95

      • Matthew 4:8–9NASB95

      • Philippians 3:20NASB95

      • Colossians 1:13–14NASB95

      • Ephesians 2:13NASB95

      • Revelation 1:5–6NASB95

      • Acts 22:16NASB95

      • Galatians 6:2NASB95

      • 1 Corinthians 9:21NASB95

      • Colossians 2:14NASB95

      • Romans 8:2NASB95

      • 1 Timothy 1:7–8NASB95

      • Matthew 16:18NASB95

Giddings Church of Christ
https://gcoc-p.faithlifesites.com
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