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Book: Mark
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Mark 9:1 The Kingdom of God
I. What is the Kingdom of God?
A. It is the kingdom where God reigns.
1. Thus the kingdom of God is in heaven. The kingdom of
God and the kingdom of heaven are thus synonymous.
Matthew is the only writer that uses the term kingdom
of heaven.
2. The kingdom of God can be in you.
a. If God reigns in your heart then is the
kingdom of God within you.
b. Jesus said, "Not all who say Lord, Lord are
going to enter the kingdom of heaven, by he
that doeth the will of the Father.
B. When Jesus comes to reign over the earth, the kingdom of God
will then be here on earth.
1. Right now this earth is under the rule of Satan thus
is presently the kingdom of Satan. Jesus said to
certain Jews you are of your father the devil, and
the desires of your father you do.
a. Jesus called him the prince of this world.
b. Paul called him the god of this world.
c. When they came to arrest Jesus He said, "This
is your hour and the power of darkness.
d. Jesus called Paul to go to the Gentiles to
turn them from darkness to light and from
the power of Satan unto God. i.e. to bring
them from the kingdom of Satan to the kingdom
of God.
e. Col. 1:13 "Who had delivered us from the power
of darkness into the kingdom of His dear Son."
2. There are thus two vastly opposing kingdoms in the
world today, and everyone is living in one of the two.
a. Those who have submitted their lives to the
lordship of Jesus Christ are living in the
kingdom of God. But they are living in a world
that is governed by Satan.
b. They are thus aliens, and often treated like
aliens.
c. It was the desire of our forefathers to come
to America and establish a nation that would
be governed by God's laws. One nation under
God. It was a beautiful dream. They sought
to establish a form of government that
would guarantee the perpetuation of that
dream by the separation of the legislative
and judicial branches of government.
d. There dream was to establish a constitution
that would insure the domestic tranquillity,
provide for the common defense, promote the
general welfare, and secure the blessings of
liberty to ourselves and our posterity.
e. This could only be guaranteed by remembering
that we were one nation under God that had put
it's trust in God.
f. When the courts began to declare that to talk
about God or Jesus Christ in a favorable way
in the public schools was against the
Constitution they took us from a nation under
God to a nation under the edicts of the
men and women on the Supreme Court, they began
to allow liberties that our forefathers never
dreamed of. The liberty to create, distribute
and sell pornographic materials of the most
explicit sort. The liberty to abort babies.
The liberty to exploit children in pornographic
materials. No longer the liberty to pray in a
public school. No longer the liberty to read
the Bible in public school. No longer the
liberty to post the ten commandments in a
public school.
g. The tragic results are that we no longer have
domestic tranquillity. We are ruled by men who
are for the most part ruled by Satan, and we
are seeing the tragic consequences. Once again
we are aliens, and are being called the
radical religious right, and have become the
victims of bashing by the media and the heads
of government.
h. Paul said, "For our citizenship is in heaven
from whence we look for our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ, who when He comes shall change
our vile bodies, that we might be fashioned
after His own glorious image." But being
a citizen of heaven living in a world
controlled by the powers of darkness takes
real commitment.
i. Look at how all of the forces seem to be
determined to tear down any moral values. The
movies, the music, the talk shows, what the
Bible declares is evil is looked on as good
and what the Bible declares as good is looked
on as evil.
II. What did Jesus mean, that some of those who were standing there would
not taste of death until they had seen the kingdom of God coming with
power?
A. The next verse tells us that Jesus took Peter, James, and John
into a high mountain and was there transfigured before them.
1. There they got a glimpse of Jesus in the power of His
kingdom.
a. His raiment became shining.
b. It was exceeding the whiteness of snow.
c. Moses and Elijah appeared and were talking
with Him.
2. John later in the book of Revelation had a vision of
Jesus in the glory in which He will appear when He
comes in the power of His kingdom.
REV 1:13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks [one] like unto
the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and
girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
REV 1:14 His head and [his] hairs [were] white like wool, as white as
snow; and his eyes [were] as a flame of fire;
REV 1:15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a
furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
REV 1:16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth
went a sharp two edged sword: and his countenance [was] as the
sun shineth in his strength.
REV 1:17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid
his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the
first and the last:
REV 1:18 I [am] he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive
forevermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
3. Jesus spoke of the Son of Man coming in His glory with
all of His holy angels, then shall He sit on His throne
of glory.
4. The book of Revelation tells of the time when the
kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our
Lord and of His Messiah.
III. What will His kingdom be like?
A. Heaven on earth.
1. No more tears, no more suffering, no more pain, no more
sin, no more sickness, no more physical infirmities,
no more wars, no more poverty, no more exploiting of
others.
2. The kingdom of God is not meat or drink, but
righteousness peace, and joy.
a. Righteousness. Sin is that which destroys,
it destroys love, joy, goodness. It brings
death and destruction.
b. Peace. It is sin that brings envying, strife,
wars, disputes.
c. Joy, the end result of sin is sorrow and pain.
B. The kingdom of God will be marked by love.
1. Love for God manifested in our love for our fellowmen.
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