Governmental Order in the Kingdom Part 1: Kingdom Foundation

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I. Introduction Matthew 6:31-34 "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek ( = enquire, desire, worship) first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (NKJV)

A. Isaiah 9:6-7 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. (KJV) B. Definitions: 1. Government = that which prevails or has power; that which rules, controls and directs. 2. Order 3. Kingdom = to set up; the condition in which every part or piece is in its right place. = a domain (or territory) that is influenced by a king.

C. Our greatest enemy is not sin, but ignorance of the Word of God. 1. Ignorance means not to know. Ignorance is the absence of knowledge. Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge . . . (KJV) 2. In Hebrew, one of the definitions for the word darkness is ignorance. If someone keeps you in the dark, they are capitalizing on your ignorance about a certain subject. The Bible calls Satan and his evil forces the rulers of the darkness of this world.

Ephesians 6:11-12 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (KJV) Heres the point: Wherever there is a lack of knowledge (i.e. ignorance), there is darkness. And wherever there is darkness . . . Satan has the advantage. 3. Our source of light, our source of knowledge, and our source of protection from ignorance, and from being controlled and manipulated by the devil is the Word of God. Psalm 119:105 Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. (KJV)

4. Satans number one goal is to keep us ignorant . . . in the dark . . . about the Word of God in general, and about the gospel of the kingdom, in particular! Matthew 13:18-19 "Therefore hear the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. (NKJV) Mark 4:14-15 The sower sows the word. And these are the ones by the wayside where the Word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. (NKJV)

II. The Original Purpose and Plan of God A. The Bible is a book about a King, His kingdom and His children. B. The Kings plan was to extend His heavenly kingdom to earth and give ruler ship in this kingdom to His children. C. The Kings desire was to create a family of sons and daughters, made in His own image and likeness, to complete His plan of extending His heavenly kingdom to earth. Included in this assignment was the Kings decree that His sons and daughters would have dominion, over the affairs on earth . . . and that they alone would have dominion! Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion ( = to govern, to rule and to reign) over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. (KJV)

D. This statement is mans legal authority from the King . . . God the Father . . . to have and to exercise dominion on the earth. Psalm 8:4-6 What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: (NIV) Isaiah 45:11 . . . concerning the work of My hands, you command Me. (NKJV) Note: God the King gave man dominion over everything on earth except over another human being.

E. The Kings strategy was to fill His sons and daughters with the Holy Spirit so that they would stay connected and aligned with the King as they brought His kingdom to earth. Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. (KJV)

F. The fall of man was not a fall from heaven. It was a fall from dominion . . . from the assignment God gave to Adam and Eve to have dominion over the earth. Because of their disobedience: 1. They and their offspring lost the right to exercise dominion in the earth. 2. Satan obtained that right. 3. Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden, not from heaven. G. Therefore, the purpose of Gods plan of redemption was, and still is, to restore man to the position from which he fell, a position of exercising dominion and authority over the affairs of earth. Psalm 115:16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD's: but the earth hath he given to the children of men. (KJV) H. Gods strategy to restore dominion to His sons and daughters was to send His Son, Jesus, to earth to pay the price of redemption. The crucifixion of Jesus, prophesied, sanctioned and carried out by the high priest (John 11:49-53), provided the perfect legal sacrifice to pay for the sins of Adam and of every other human being who has walked the face of the earth since Adam. Romans 5:17 Since by the one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive the overflow of grace and the gift of righteousness reign ( = to rule as a king) in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. (Holman) I. So, when Jesus came to earth, His number one mission, His highest priority, and His great passion . . . was to restore the kingdom of God to mankind. The primary reason the last Adam came to earth and was sacrificed upon the cross was to restore the government of God to the people of God for whom it was originally intended. His desire was that man would once again exercise God the Fathers loving, dominating and powerful influence in the earth! III. The Significance of the Message of the Kingdom of God to People Born and Raised in a Democracy. A. The way a democracy works is completely opposite to the way a kingdom works.

B. People in Haiti and the United States were born in a democracy. We may use the word king, but we do not fully understand its meaning, because we were not born in a Kingdom.

C. God did not choose to call Himself President, Prime Minister, or Governor. None of these titles convey the concept He wanted to convey. God chose to call Himself King. King = a sovereign, through the notion of a foundation of power; the man who rules a country and its people; a person who has great power, exercises the highest authority and who controls, prevails, and dominates in his kingdom. the supreme ruler, independent of the control of another person or government. Revelation 1:5-6 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (NKJV) D. God did not choose to call the domain over which He exercised His dominating influence a democracy. He chose to call it a kingdom. Recall that a kingdom is a domain (or territory) that is influenced by a king. E. The kingdom of God is not a physical territory. It is a governmental jurisdiction. In the kingdom of God, the influence of God the Father is manifested through His sons and daughters, when they are operating in alignment with the will of God. F. The kingdom of heaven is a physical territory where the influence of God is manifested in every dimension of that kingdom by God the Father Himself. To better understand the characteristics and operating features of the kingdom of God, I suggest we use the terms kingdom of God and kingdom of heaven interchangeably.

G. Contrast between a democracy and the kingdom of God: 1. A democracy is built on the power of the people. A kingdom is built on the power of the King. 2. In a democracy the people have the right to vote and to choose their leaders. In a kingdom there is no voting, and you do not choose your leader. He chooses you! John 15:16-17 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. (NKJV) 3. In a democracy the word of the people is law. In a kingdom the word of the King is law. 4. In a democracy the majority rules. In a kingdom the King is always the majority, and He rules. 5. In a democracy the people work to maintain their independence. In a kingdom the people are dependent upon the King. The more they place their dependence on the King, the greater His obligation to them. The more the people worship the King, the more He gives to them. Worship is the protocol that controls your destiny. (Tommy Tenney) 6. In a kingdom the King is responsible for the condition of His citizens. The Kings reputation is determined by how well He cares for them. 7. A King never speaks what He cannot perform. In a kingdom, when the King says something, it is done. A King always keeps His word!

Hebrews 6:18 These two things cannot change: God cannot lie when he makes a promise, and he cannot lie when he makes an oath. These things encourage us who came to God for safety. They give us strength to hold on to the hope we have been been given. (NCV) Mark 6:17-29 For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; for he had married her. Because John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife.

Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and protected him. And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly. Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee. And when Herodias' daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, "Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you." He also swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom." So she went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?" And she said, "The head of John the Baptist!" Immediately she came in with haste to the king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter." And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her. Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought. And he went and beheaded him in prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. (NKJV)

Now consider this: If an unrighteous king will keep his word, even when he is granting something that is against his will, how much more will the King of Kings (who cannot lie) keep His word, especially when everything He has promised is His will?

IV. Characteristics of the Kingdom A. The kingdom of God comes with power! 1 Corinthians 4:20 For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power (dunamis = miraculous power, ability or might). (KJV) Luke 10:19 Behold I give unto you power (exousia = delegated influence, authority, or jurisdiction) to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power (dunamis) of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. (KJV) Please note: You cannot function with power in the kingdom of God if you have a democratic mindset! You must begin to think kingdom, talk kingdom and walk kingdom. Two sources of power in the kingdom of God: 1. The Holy Spirit. Matthew 12:28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. (NKJV) Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power (dunamis) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." (NKJV) Luke 4:14 And Jesus returned in the power (dunamis) of the Spirit into Galilee . . . (KJV) 2. The Word of God. Romans 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power (dunamis) of God to salvation for everyone who believes . . . (NKJV)

Luke 4:35-37 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!" And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him. Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, "What a word this is! For with authority and power (dunamis) He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out." (NKJV)

B.

The kingdom of God impacts everything it touches. Luke 13:20-21 And again He said, "To what shall I liken the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened." (NKJV)

C. The kingdom is worth everything that you have! Matthew 13:44-46 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. (NKJV)

D. The kingdom is a gift promised to those who love God. Luke 12:32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. (KJV) James 2:5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? (KJV)

E. The kingdom of God has no divisions. Mark 3:24 And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. (KJV)

F. The kingdom of God is not of this world . . . just as you are not of this world. John 18:36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here." (NKJV) John 17:14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. (NKJV)

G. The kingdom of God is within you! Luke 17:20-21 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you." (NKJV)

H.

The kingdom of God: 1. Cannot be shaken. Hebrews 12:28-29 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire. (NKJV) 2. Has no end. Luke 1:31-33 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. (KJV) 3. Shall never be destroyed. Daniel 2:44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed . . . (KJV) ( to be continued . . . )

Copyright 2006 by Bill Fries. All rights reserved.

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