WHAT IS THE KINGDOM ABOUT,
AND HOW DO WE OPERATE IN IT?
July 3, 2011
MF
Blume
Psalm 2:1 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel
together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, 3 Let us
break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. 4 He that
sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in
derision. 5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in
his sore displeasure. 6 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of
Zion. 7 I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art
my Son; this day have I begotten thee. 8 Ask of me, and I shall give
thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the
earth for thy possession.
Acts 4:23 And being let go, they went to their own company, and
reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. 24
And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one
accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and
earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: 25 Who by the mouth of thy
servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people
imagine vain things?, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the
Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, 28 For to
do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. 29
And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants,
that with all boldness they may speak thy word,
Here we have the early church having just experienced persecution from
the religious leaders of Jerusalem because a man was healed in the name
of Jesus from being crippled, and the miracle was spreading across town
and was a plainly supernatural occurrence.
- And they have a
meeting for
prayer and talk to God, quoting Psalm 2 that we read earlier.
2 Sam 5:3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and
king David made a league with them in Hebron before the LORD: and they
anointed David king over Israel.
6 And the king and his men went to Jerusalem unto the Jebusites, the
inhabitants of the land: which spake unto David, saying, Except thou
take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither:
thinking, David cannot come in hither. 7 Nevertheless David took the
strong hold of Zion:
17 But when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king
over Israel, all the Philistines came up to seek David; and David heard
of it, and went down to the hold. 18 The Philistines also came and
spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. 19 And David enquired of
the LORD, saying, Shall I go up to the Philistines? wilt thou deliver
them into mine hand? And the LORD said unto David, Go up: for I will
doubtless deliver the Philistines into thine hand. 20 And David came to
Baalperazim, and David smote them there, and said, The LORD hath broken
forth upon mine enemies before me, as the breach of waters. Therefore
he called the name of that place Baalperazim. 21 And there they left
their images, and David and his men burned them.
When David wrote Psalm 2, he was recounting his own experience with
taking the city Jerusalem back from the Jebusites who had seized
control of it during some battles.
- 2 Sam 5 relates to
us how David
was anointed king over all Israel and how he set forth to retain
Jerusalem once again, as was the proper thing to do as newly appointed
king.
- It tells us how
David conquered
ZION and put his throne there, and how the Philistines heard of it and
became enraged seeking to remove David and not see David gain any more
ground.
- David prays to God
and asks if
he should fight the Philistines, and God tells Him God will doubtlessly
deliver them into his hand.
- And that is why we
read in Psalm
2 that the Lord set his king upon the holy hill of Zion and the raging
of the heathens and kings of the earth would not change God's plans
since this KINGDOM WILL STAND!
If we read the 3rd chapter in Acts and the verses before the ones that
related the prayer meeting of the early church we find that SIMILAR
CIRCUMSTANCES OCCURRED with them that we find with David when David
wrote Psalm 2.
- Instead of the
Philistines
enraged against David taking Jerusalem back to Israel and putting his
throne on Zion and how David was becoming greater and His Kingdom was
plainly shown to be more powerful, THE CAPTAIN OF THE TEMPLE AND THE
SADDUCEES HATED THE FACT THAT JESUS was becoming MORE POPULAR and
people were parching in His name and healing the sick in His name.
- Jesus' kingdom was
getting
greater IN THE VERY SAME CITY WHERE DAVID'S KINGDOM was becoming
greater!
The bible teaches that when Jesus resurrected, He went to the throne of
GLORY IN HEAVEN.
- Just like David
going to the
throne in ZION.
- The New Testament
actually talks
about ZION.
- The ACTUAL Zion is
a spiritual
place that saved born again people come to when they serve Jesus.
- IT IS CALLED ZION!
The way David was attacked for sitting not enthrone was the Philistines
set out to fight and take him down.
- But the way JESUS
was attacked
in the SAME CITY, JERUSALEM, centuries later, was by RELIGIOUS LEADERS
commanding the disciples to STOP PREACHING IN THAT NAME and stop
healing the sick in that name.
Now, DAVID was asking about fighting the enemy and God told him to
fight and defeat the Philistines.
- For us to read
about the early
Christians praying to God in their situation tells us that THEY GOT A
SPECIAL INSIGHT FROM GOD that when David wrote about the ANOINTED KING
sitting on the throne in Psalm 2, although David was talking about
himself, God was actually having David PROPHESY about the GREATER
fulfillment of that situation IN JESUS CHRIST BEING SEATED ON ZION.
- When the Christians
pray, they
actually say the KING and the ANOINTED ONE is Jesus.
Acts 4: 26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were
gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. 27 For of a
truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed
And that means THEY KNEW that as much as David was on the throne in HIS
KINGDOM centuries before, JESUS WAS ON THE THRONE OF DAVID and HAD A
KINGDOM.
- And what we
need to learn
from this is HOW THESE CHRISTIANS WOULD FIGHT BACK when David fought
with swords and spears and shields.
People wonder what the nature of this KINGDOM is all about.
- We talk about
kingdom.
- We preach it is
here now.
- We get confused
with some people
who believe KINGDOM NOW and teach we need to take over governmental
offices and become leaders in the city and nation.
- Then others believe
the Kingdom
has not even come yet and will not come until after the rapture.
Let me prove the KINGDOM IS HERE.
Matt 21:28 But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came
to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. 29 He
answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. 30
And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said,
I go, sir: and went not. 31 Whether of them twain did the will of his
father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I
say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of
God before you.
Matt 21:43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken
from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
Luke 17:20 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: 21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo
there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
Someone said the KINGDOM IS POSTPONED because the Jews crucified Jesus.
- Nothing was
postponed.
- The KINGDOM WAS
TAKEN FROM THEM,
but Jesus never said it would come again after thousands of years.
- He said IT WOULD BE
GIVEN RIGHT
AWAY TO ANOTHER NATION.
What is it about?
John 18:35 Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief
priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done? 36
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 to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
And on top of that the early Christians are comparing David;s situation
in Psalm 2 where his kingship was being challenged with their situation
with JESUS actually being the TRUE ANOINTED ONE whom the kings
threatened.
- And they are asking
God to CAUSE
THEM TO WIN THE FIGHT as God told David He would cause David to win in
Psalm 2.
- Since this was
about Jesus, and
them fighting, HOW WOULD THEY FIGHT?
- God told David to
fight, but how
would the Christians fight?
This shows us what the nature of the Kingdom is, and what our part is
in seeing Jesus' kingdom increase.
- First of all the
KINGDOM WAS
INCREASING by Peter and John healing a cripple n the name of Jesus and
then preaching to everyone that JESUS IS RAISED UP!
Secondly, look at what they ask God to do, to let us realize HOW WE
FIGHT TODAY in THIS KIND OF KINGDOM.
Let me quickly quote Jesus again to show something HE ACTUALLY SAID
about this kingdom.
John 18: 36 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 to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
We are not going to fight with weapons in this kingdom.
- One preacher tried
to prove to
me that JESUS WILL FIGHT LATER with physical weapons, and showed me
Rev. 19.
- I pointed out
something to him
about Rev 19 that he overlooked.
Rev 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he
that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he
doth judge and make war. 12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on
his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew,
but he himself. 13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood:
and his name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which were in
heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and
clean. 15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he
should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron:
and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty
God.
It is a VISION that SYMBOLIZES HOW THE WORD OF GOD defeats people.
- THE WORD OF GOD IS
SHARPER THAN
ANY TWOEDGED SWORD.
- It is from his
mouth so it means
HIS WORDS do the work, not an actual sword.
And look at how this fits with HOW THE CHRISTIANS WOULD FIGHT.
Acts 4:29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy
servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, 30 By
stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be
done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. 31 And when they had prayed,
the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were
all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake
the word of God with
boldness.
THAT IS HOW WE FIGHT!
- THE SWORD OF THE
WORD OF GOD!
- Miracles in the
NAME OF JESUS.
This is how the KINGDOM COMES!
That is how we fight!
