Acts 28:16-31 |
Countryside Bible Church 3-5-00 |
Back
|
Acts: Kingdom Beginning to End Kingdom of God in Old Testament Age to Come Lost Faith? Conclusion
Intro: The phrase “Kingdom of God” is repeated 110
times in the New Testament counting the occurrences in Matthew which use the
phrase “Kingdom of Heaven”. It is specifically
used 7 time is Acts, from which we are spring-boarding this subject.
Briefly let me explain that
Matthew uses the phrase “Kingdom of Heaven” in deference to the Jews to whom we understand he
directed his gospel. The Jews
traditionally felt that to say “God” too often was disrespectful by way of
treating the name too casually. So in
reference to the Kingdom of God they preferred to say Kingdom of Heaven, heaven being the throne of God and therefore
referring really to God or the rule of God.
Much in the same way the press might say we have news from the White
House when they mean we have news from the President. It would meaningless to say from the White House if there was no
president.
The point is since Kingdom of God is mentioned so often, it must have some significance. What is it? Is it another way of referring to the Church. Can it be defined and limited to the work of God in our hearts? Whatever it is it is called the gospel as the apostle, Philip, preached the “good news (gospel) of the kingdom of God” in Acts 8:12.
To begin this morning let me
read the other verses in Acts where the phrase “Kingdom of God occurs.
Acts
1:3 (Jesus after his
resurrection and before his ascension)
...
spoke about the kingdom of God.
Acts 8:6, 12 (in a city in
Samaria)
... good news of the kingdom of God...
Acts 14:21-22 (Paul and Barnabas in Derbe)
...
"We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,"
they said.
Acts 20:25 (Paul in
Miletus)
... I have gone about preaching the kingdom
...
I. Acts: Gospel Of The Kingdom From
Beginning To End
A. Acts begins and ends with it1.
1st
Chap. Jesus “spoke about the Kingdom” 2.
Last
chap. Paul a)
“explained
and declared the Kingdom of God” B.
K of God concluding subject of Peter’s first sermon with 8 points
1.
O.T. prophecy fulfilled in life and death of
Jesus 2.
You
crucified Jesus, God’s promised Messiah 3.
God
resurrected him from the dead 4.
We
are eyewitnesses of the resurrection 5.
You
may now receive the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus 6.
All
who repent, believe the message, and are baptized will be saved. 7.
Christ
now sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven 8.
“UNTIL” a) Acts 3:21
...
he promised long ago through his
holy prophets. - which brings us to… |
II.
The Kingdom of God in the O.
T. A. Limited remarks today for a later consideration1.
K
of God message of Prophets “Through his holy prophets” 2.
Phrase
K of G itself not found 3.
Clearly
taught in many ways & other language. 4.
Clear
Example: a)
Daniel’s
image of nations up to the K of God b)
Daniel
2:44 ... God
of heaven will set up a kingdom (K
of God?)... c) Harmonize with Rev. 11:15 ... the kingdoms of our Lord,(God. K of God?) and of his Christ; (Jesus) and he shall reign for ever and ever. |
|
A. The coming age or age to come 1.
Synonymous
with K of God 2.
Ephes.
1:21 (Christ exalted )... in the one to come. B.
“Everlasting”
(eternal) life
1.
From
Gk aion, aionios or age. 2.
Some
consider “Everlasting or eternal” as a mistranslation 3.
When
the bible speaks of eternal life it is referring to age-life or life in the
coming age or life pertaining to the coming age 4.
A
life in the coming age that takes on the quality of the coming age. 5.
It may be eternal as part of its quality as in 1 Tim. 6:19
...
for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.(“eternal
life” KJV) 6. “Ordinary readers have thus not been permitted to see the prominence which the N. T. writers give to the all-important subject of the ‘Coming age’”. - Buzzard C. “Glory, honor, immortality1. Romans 2:7 ...
he
will give eternal life (life in the coming age or coming age life).
2. Life in the coming age will equal “glory, honor, immortality” |
IV.
A Lost Faith?
A.
Christ Return and Earthly Reign (K of God) 1.
Largely
Lost. Dr. Whitby “…the reign of Christ of the saints on earth for a
1000 years is now rejected by all Roman Catholics and by the greatest part of
Protestants, and yet it passed among the best of Christians for 250 years for
an apostolic tradition, and as such is believed by many fathers of the second
and third centuries.” 2.
Early
Baptist Faith Presented to Charles II in March 1660 announcing
that they were resolved to suffer persecution to the loss of goods, or life
itself, rather than abandon their belief, they wrote: We
believe that the same Lord Jesus, who showed himself alive after his passion by
many infallible proofs (Acts
1:3) who was taken up from his disciples and
carried up into heaven (Lk.
24:51) shall so come in like manner as he was seen
to go into heaven (Acts
1:9-11). And when Christ who is our life shall appear
we shall also appear with him in glory (Col.
3:4). For then shall he be King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Rev.
19:16), for the Kingdom is his and he is the governor among the nations (Ps.22:28), and King over all the earth
(Zech. 14:9), and we shall reign with
him on earth (Rev.
5:10). The Kingdoms
of this world shall become the Kingdom of our Lord and His Christ (Rev.
11:15). For unto the saints shall be given the
Kingdom and the greatness of the Kingdom under (mark that) the whole heaven (Dan.
7:27). Though alas now many men
be scarce content that the saints should have so much as a being among
them; but when Christ shall appear,
then shall be their day, then shall be given them power over the nations, to
rule them with a rod of iron (Rev.
2:26-27).
Then shall they receive a crown of life which no shall take away from
them…” 3.
TRIUMPH
OF THE CRUCIFIED by Erich Sauer 1952 “The kingly rule of God is the final goal of
salvation’s history. The kingdom is
therefore the real basic theme of the Bible. Belief in a visible kingdom of God on the old earth was originally the common spiritual property of all Christians. Only with the start of growing Catholicism was it lost, as by Clement, Origen (250AD) and Augustine (400). a) In his Chapter THE GLORY OF THE K OF G ON EARTH. “The coming K.of God is the time of world-wide “regeneration” (Matt. 19:18). The whole earthly creation has part in its visible glory…” (Rom. 8:19-26) |
Conclusion: The message of the kingdom of God is more than a biblical interpretation, a view. It is classified as the “gospel of the Kingdom of God” As such is the same classification as the gospel of Jesus, his death burial and resurrection. It is the message to be preached and the message to be believed in regard to our salvation.