Well, it's evening. We are addressing our attention
to the subject of the establishment of the kingdom.
And I refer, of course to that that was promised by Isaiah in
Isaiah. The second chapter, which we
read a few of, from a moment ago in this place, we hear Isaiah
predicting. It shall come to pass in the
last days that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be
established in the top of the mountains and shall be exalted.
Above the hills and All Nations shall flow unto it now, whatever
the mountain of the Lord's House, maybe as described In
this passage of scripture when Isaiah spoke this, some 500
years before Christ, it was yet future.
It was something that was in the future and coming and he said it
shall come to pass. So the question we want to
consider tonight is What is the Lord's House?
I have spoken here. The answer of course, is found
in the second chapter of Daniel. There in this place, we here in
Daniel 2 and verse 35, that the prophet said, then was the iron,
the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold broken to pieces
together and became like the chaff of the summer threshing,
floors and the wind carried them away that no place.
Place was found for them and the stone that smote the image
became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
Now, the interpretation of this Vision given by Daniel in Daniel
2 and 44, he said, in the days of these Kings, shall the god of
Heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed.
And the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it
shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms.
And it shall stand forever. Now, like to point out that when
he said the mountain of the Lord's house shall be
established in the top of the mountains, they mountain.
Of course, is simply a symbol for a kingdom.
And then he said, it shall be exalted above the hills now
heels, if the mountain is a kingdom, the hills would be
lesser governments, wouldn't it? And so this is what he's talking
about, but what is the Lord's? House.
He said the mountain of the Lord's house, shall be
established in the top of the mountains and exalted above the
hills, what we find, what the Lord's House is.
And First Timothy, the third chapter and verse 15 where the
Apostle Paul writes to the young preacher and he said that if I
tear along thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself
in the house of God, which is the Church of the Living.
God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
So the Lord's House. Is simply the church.
This is a prediction of the church and when it will be
established and what its purpose maybe now Daniel said, in the
days of these Kings, this tells us the time when the kingdom or
the church is to be established. But what Kings is he talking
about? We have to remember that this
was during the time of Nebuchadnezzar And the Bible
tells us that Nebuchadnezzar had a dream.
That's nothing uncommon. We all have dreams.
This dream was a very important dream.
It was a dream that was given him no doubt by God, And the
problem was that when he woke up the next morning, he couldn't
remember the dream. He said the thing has left me.
Have you ever had an experience like that?
Sure you have you've had a dream that seemed so real and so vivid
but then the next morning you couldn't even remember the
details of it. Well, that's the fix that
Nebuchadnezzar was in and so he called for his wise men and his
soothsayers and he's Chaldeans and they all came in and he
said, I have had a dream and I want you to give me the
interpretation. In Arabic, they said, all right.
You tell us the dream and we'll give you the interpretation.
Oh no, he said that's just the problem.
Paraphrasing is words. Of course, he said, I the thing
is left me. I don't know what the dream is,
but unless you tell me, you're going to be cutting pieces, and
I'm going to make your houses a dunghill on the other hand.
If you tell me the dream and you give me the interpretation,
you're going to get all kinds. He's of rewards and they said
well there's not a man on Earth that can tell you the dream and
then give you the interpretation, that's not the
way it works. You tell us the dream and will
tell you the interpretation thereof always said you're just
stalling for time and he said if you don't come up with this
dream, all of you are going to be killed and even though they
protested that was his decree. So he was rounding up all All of
the soothsayers and The Magicians, and the Chaldeans to
kill them and he sent for Daniel and the, the boys that were with
him from Judea. And Daniel said you give me a
little time and I'll tell the dream and I'll tell the
interpretation of it. And so of course he called upon
God to provide that interpretation and during the
night, God gave to Daniel the dream and the interpretation
thereof. And now we're ready to see what
that dream. And what that interpretation was
in verse 31. This is the thing that he said
to Nebuchadnezzar vowel King saw us and behold a great Image this
great image, whose brightness was excellent stood before the
in the form thereof was terrible.
The this images head was of fine, gold his breast and his
arms of silver, his belly and thighs of brass.
His legs of iron his feet, part of iron and part of clay.
Now, saw us till that a stone was cut out without hands, which
smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay and
break them. Pieces, then was the iron, the
clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold broken to pieces
together and became like the chaff of the summer threshing.
Floors and the wind carried them away that no place was found for
them and the stone that smote the image became a great
mountain and filled the whole earth.
This is the green and we will tell the interpretation thereof
before the king. Now, the word king, of course,
refers to a dynasty of kings and each one.
But now let's read the interpretation.
He said the owl King are to King of Kings for the god of Heaven.
Hath given thee, a kingdom, power and strength and Glory.
I like to point out that the Bible says, God gave it to him.
Sometimes we think that we have a hand in the Affairs of men,
but God. God rules in the kingdoms of
men. And he said, God gave you this
Kingdom and wheresoever. The Children of Men, dwell the
beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath.
He given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them.
All thou art this head of gold. This is a significant statement
Nebuchadnezzar was the head of gold of that great image that he
saw in his vision and after they shall arise another, Kingdom
inferior to thee and another third Kingdom of brass which
shall bear rule over all the earth.
And the fourth Kingdom shall be strong as iron forasmuch as iron
breaketh in pieces and subdueth with all things and as iron that
worketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise and
whereas thou sawest the feet and Toes part of potters.
Clay. And part of iron the kingdom
shall be divided but there shall be in it of the strength of the
iron Iron forasmuch as thou sowest the iron mixed with Miry
clay and as the toes of the feet were part of iron and part of
clay. So the kingdom shall be partly
strong and partly broken. And whereas thou sawest iron
mixed with Miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed
of men but they shall not cleave one to another.
Even as iron is not mixed with clay and in the days of these
Kings shall the god of Heaven set up a kingdom, which shall
never be destroyed. And the kingdom shall not be
left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and
consume all these kingdoms and it shall stand forever.
Now notice if you will, the four things that he describes year,
the head of gold, he described as being, King Nebuchadnezzar.
In other words, that part of the Kingdom that part of the pyre.
And then he said that there was silver and then there was the
brass and then there was the iron and part of iron and part
of clay later on, we're going to see that these represent the
four Great World Empires known to man.
And this is very easily done because when he said
Nebuchadnezzar, thou art that head of gold, he identified that
as the Bible own Ian Kingdom. One of the great world Empires.
You remember in the study of history.
No doubt that these four Universal dynasties Babylonia
was the first. And then we have no trouble,
locating the others. Daniel 8 tells us who they are
in. Daniel the 8th chapter and verse
20. He said, the ram, which thou
sowest having two horns are the kings of media and Persia.
And the rough goat is The king of Grisha and the Great Horn
that is between his eyes is the first king now that being
broken. Whereas, for stood up for it for
Kingdom, shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his
power, You Remember by reading God's word and history that the
Babylonian kingdom was that which passed away because the
medes and the Persians Came Upon it.
So that Median kingdom was that second Kingdom.
I should say, was the, the kingdom, and then the silver, of
course, was that, which represented Greece, we can
notice then that, in this, in this way, the four kingdoms are
described now, I believe I have this mixed up just a little bit
here. Let's read again.
What He says. He said, the third kingdom was a
kingdom of brass and it shall bear rule over all the Earth
that silver Kingdom represented. The Macedonian Empire of which
Alexander you remember, was the great was the ruler.
Alexander had conquered all of the known world and he was ruler
of it all. And when Alexander died, He had
no hair no, to leave it to, he had only one son who was an
incompetent and his his generals took over the kingdom and that
when he said that being broken, whereas, for stood up for it for
Kingdom, shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his
power. So since we have noticed, the
medo-persian and the, and the Macedonian, or the Grecian
Kingdom that leaves only one to be described and of course that
was the Roman Kingdom. It is described so minutely that
it's unmistakable. It first comes as iron the Roman
Kingdom breaking everything in its power and its way and later
a spirit of moderation is introduced and he says the clay
begins to mingle with the iron. This is in the feet of that.
Great Image the Eye. Iron and the Miry clay but while
they mingle, they will not cleave together.
And Daniel 2 and verse 43 says, whereas thou sawest iron mixed
with Miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed
of men but they shall not cleave one to another.
Even as iron is not mixed with Clay.
So now we have described these kingdoms as the medo-persian The
Grecian. And finally, the Roman, those
are the only four World Empires. The iron of this Roman Kingdom
became mingled with clay and of course, that produced a
weakness. Now, Gibbons says in the second
century of the Christian era, the Empire of Rome comprehended.
The fairest part of the earth and the most civilized portions
of mankind, Gibbon wrote the history. of the Roman Empire and
he said again the principal conquests of the Romans were
achieved under the Republic and the emperor's for the most part
were satisfied with preserving, those dominions which but had
been acquired by the policy of the Senate, the act of emulation
of the count of the consoles and the Marshal enthusiasm of the
people, the 7 first centuries were filled with rapid
succession of primes but it was reserved for Augustus to
relinquish Which the ambitious design of subduing, the whole
earth and to introduce a spirit of moderation, into the public
councils in these two quotations that I have read from Gibbon the
historian. We learned that the Roman Empire
was the kind of a thing that broke everything in its path.
Some of our modern Scholars have said that the Roman army was
absolutely Invincible in its Force.
And it broke other nations to pieces and that was the Republic
that did that hence the iron marks, the Roman Empire and its
Republican form of government. But then there comes the clay.
What about the clay? He says, the Kings mentioned
mingle themselves with the seed of men and it was this seed of
men to which they would not cleave.
Now, if you will, notice the Romans changed from the Can form
of government to a kingdom but they never did abolish the
Senate therefore they retained a part of the Republic, the part
that was iron and that was mingled with a synod named
Daniel said there shall be in it.
The strength of the iron, the emperor's, the Kings with the
Senate. Did they cleave together?
I submit that, they did not Gibbon.
The historian of Rome says the Words of the Assassin.
Something deep into the mind of Commodus and left an indelible
impression of fear and hatred against the whole body of the
Senate. They we can see that there was
strife and animosity between the Senate and those who represented
the King again from Gibbon. He said the tyrants rage after
having shed the noblest blood of the Senate at last recoiled on
the principal instrument of his cruelty.
That's Page 106 of Gibbons history of the Roman Empire.
Now I could read many more quotations from Gibbons tonight
to show that the Roman emperors were the Kings who mingle
themselves with the seed of men, but would not cleave one to
another. Hence, the emperor's were the
clay of the image, while the Senate was the iron, and I'm
mentioning all of this tonight because that shows the age of
the world when God was To set up his kingdom.
He said, in the days of these kings, that is the Roman kings
in the days of these Kings, shall the god of Heaven, set up
a kingdom. Now, that was the Roman Caesars,
and that was during the time when the kingdom would be
established. Now, like to point out that it
was the mission of John the Baptist.
To make the way of the Lord plane that was his mission.
And so, we're not surprised to read in.
Matthew the 3rd chapter and verse 1 in those days, Came
John, the Baptist preaching in the wilderness of Judea and
saying, repent. Ye for the Kingdom of Heaven is
at hand. At hand means to cause to
approach to draw near it. Hadn't come but he said it's at
hand. It was not.
I was very near again. We hear Jesus coming upon the
scene. Jesus was born some six months
after John. The Baptist was born and John
was his Forerunner. The one who prepared his way,
and Jesus came upon the scene and the disciples asked him.
Lord, teach us to pray and Jesus said after this manner,
therefore pray, ye Our Father which is in heaven, Hallowed be
thy name, thy kingdom come thy will be done on Earth as it is
in heaven. Jesus taught his disciples to
pray, thy kingdom come. So at that point in time, Jesus
was on the scene, but his kingdom had not yet.
Come we come on down. When Jesus came with his
disciples to caesarea Philippi. And there it says area Philippi
he asked his disciples whom do men say that I the son of man
a.m. and they said, well some say that you're John the Baptist
others jeremias Elias or one of the prophets he says unto them
whom say ye that. I am Simon Peter, you remember
was the outspoken one and he said Thou Art the Christ, the
son of the Living, God, Jesus pronounce the bit.
Action of Heaven upon him. He said blessed art thou Simon
bar-jonah for Flesh and Blood hath, not revealed it unto thee
but my Father which is in heaven and I say also unto thee that
thou art Peter and Upon This Rock, I will build my church and
the Gates of Hell shall not Prevail against it and I will
give unto thee the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and
whatsoever. Thou shalt bind on Earth shall
be bound in heaven and whatsoever.
Thou shalt loose on Earth shall be loosed in heaven.
So now Jesus is talking in terms of the Search or the kingdom.
And he said, I will build that future tense again in Matthew,
18 and 3. We hear Jesus saying to his
quarreling disciples as he sat a little child down in the midst
of them except ye be converted and become as little children,
ye shall not enter into the kingdom.
Again, the apostles were not in the Kingdom at that point in
time, again in Luke 22 and verse 18 just before Or Jesus was
betrayed. He was observing the last
supper, with his disciples and he said in Luke, 22 and verse
18, verily. I say unto you.
I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of
God shall come. So, here we are now on the last
night of our Lord's life upon this Earth, and he's saying the
kingdom shall come future tense, you remember that?
Jesus was crucified. The next day.
And placed in Joseph's new Tomb. And on the Sabbath day, he slept
in the darkness and the Gloom of that tomb.
And on the third day, he came forth with beams of healing in
his wings, to dispel the darkness Gloom of Calvary, and
the grave. And to give man a view of that
land, that's over Yonder Beyond deaths tied.
And he stood over there on the mountain and gave the Great
Commission and commissioned his disciples.
He spent 40 days showing himself by many infallible proofs that
he was indeed alive. He appeared to over five hundred
Brethren at one time, we're told by Paul in 50 chapter First
Corinthians. And finally when those 40 days
were over, he led the mount to mount all of it, all of it as
such sweet and tender memories. And there he began to talk to
them in terms about their Duty, no doubt.
And one of the disciples said to him, Lord.
Weird. When thou at this time restore
the kingdom again to Israel. And Jesus said, it's not for you
to know the times or the seasons which the father has put in his
own power but ye shall receive power after that.
The Holy Ghost is come upon you. In other words, they understood
the kingdom hasn't come and Jesus informed them.
It hasn't come, you have the wrong idea of it, but you will
gain the right idea when the Holy Spirit comes, Now in the
vision of Daniel Daniel the 7th chapter, we hear Daniel
explaining what happened. You remember how that Jesus
Arose. He began to rise up into the air
and a cloud received him out of their sight.
And as I stood looking up into the heavens where Jesus had
gone, we hear him saying the Angels saying, you men of
Galilee why stand ye here gazing up into heaven, for this same
Jesus, which you have seen go into heaven, shall so come in
like manner, as ye have seen him go into heaven.
Jesus left, but we have in the seventh chapter of Daniel.
A picture from God's viewpoint. Then you'll say it in Daniel 7
and 13. I saw in the night visions and
behold. One like unto the son of man
came with the clouds of heaven and came to the Ancient of Days
that could be none other than God himself and they brought him
near before him and there was given him dominion and glory and
a kingdom that all people Nations and languages should
serve him. His Dominion is an everlasting
Dominion which shall not pass. Us away and his kingdom that,
which shall not be destroyed. So, there is god's picture of
what happened. When Jesus ascended to Heaven,
you remember that? Some 10 days later the disciples
were there in the city of Jerusalem, all with one Accord
in one place. And we're going to see what
happened. Incidentally.
Coming from the other angle. We see that John the, the one to
whom the Revelation was given. Sometimes people call him the
Revelator, but actually Jesus was the Revelator.
John was the Revel 80, I guess you could say.
And John said, I John who also am your brother and companion in
Tribulation and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ.
So John I was in the Kingdom, wasn't he?
Now, let's notice the definitions of the word Church
and Kingdom. Some people don't see how that
could be the same institution, but I submit that it is because
the church comes from a word, that means the called out.
And when we are members of the church were called out of the
world, it's an assembly. It's an assemblage of those who
are saved, the Church of Christ would be See those who were
called out by him. Now in the Kingdom that
describes it from the standpoint that the Christ is King.
Now, in order to have a kingdom there for things that are
necessary, you have to have a king, you have to have subjects,
you have to have laws and you have to have a territory.
Now, Jesus may have had subjects and a law while he's on Earth,
but he had no territory. But in You're 28 and 18.
Jesus said, all power is given unto me in heaven and in Earth,
go, ye, therefore, and teach All Nations.
John was in the Kingdom. So it had to come after Jesus
Ascension into heaven, and before John who gave the Book of
Revelation got into it. So now let's come back word to
the, to the time of the Kingdom's, establishment notice?
We have said over here even at Jesus Ascension at his
crucifixion. His Ascension into heaven the
kingdom had not yet come because the disciples are asking Lord
wilt thou at this time restore unto us the kingdom unto Israel.
So the kingdom had come at that point yet over here when John
wrote the Book of Revelation and AD 96 we find John saying that
he was in the Kingdom so somewhere In this period of
time, the kingdom had to come and be established.
We're going to find out from God's word when that happened
again in Colossians. 1 verses, 13 and 14.
We hear Jesus. We hear of the Apostle Paul
saying who act delivered us from the power of darkness and hath
translated us into the kingdom of God's dear son.
Now that means that when Paul wrote his Letter to the
Colossians somewhere along here. That the Kingdom at that time
wants and existence Also let's see if we can find another
scripture again in Acts the second chapter and verse 47.
You remember that on the day of Pentecost, the Bible says in
Acts 2:47 they having favor with all the people and the Lord
added to the church daily. Such as should be saved.
So this was some 10 days after Jesus.
Jesus Ascension to heaven, we find people being added to the
church. So if the Lord added to the
church daily, it's conclusive that the church at this point in
time, had an existence. Now couldn't have been set up,
nor it couldn't of the Kingdom. Couldn't have been established
later than the day of Pentecost, but we've learned that only 10
days before Pentecost. It hadn't been established.
Now, let's notice again in Mark the 9th chapter and verse 1,
Here. Jesus told his disciples verily.
I say unto you. That there be some of them that
stand here which shall not taste of death.
Till they have seen the kingdom of God.
Come with power. This is before the cross when
Jesus was here upon the earth. Now notice what he said, he said
there's going to be some standing here which shall not
taste of death. Till they have seen the kingdom
come with power. The Old Time, Gospel preacher
said, you know if we can find It out.
When the power came, we can find out when the kingdom came.
And of course, if we can find out that then we know what time
that was. All right, let's try again.
In Acts 1 and verse 8, we hear Jesus saying to the disciples
just before he ascended, you shall receive power after that.
The Holy Ghost is come upon you. Look here, if we can find out
when the Holy Ghost came, we can find out when the power came, if
we find out when Power came, we can find out when the kingdom
came can't. Wait, can we find out when the
Holy Ghost came? Well, I believe we can turn over
there. The second chapter of Acts at
verse 1, where the Bible says. And when the day of Pentecost
was fully come, they were all with one Accord in one place.
And suddenly, there came a sound from Heaven as of a rushing,
Mighty Wind, it filled, all the place, where they were sitting,
there appeared unto them, cloven tongues, like as of fire, and it
sat upon each of them and they were all I failed with the Holy
Ghost and began to speak with other tongues, as the spirit,
gave them utterance. So we found out that the Holy
Ghost came on the day of Pentecost.
We know it was about 9:00 in the morning from the context of that
passage. Well, when the Holy Ghost came
to power came and when the power came, that's when the kingdom
came, we've pinpointed the time that the kingdom or the Church
of Our Lord was established. I'd like to On out, that that
day. Jesus rule on Earth, began the
mountain of the Lord's House was there, and then established in
the highest government on Earth, in the top of the mountains and
the god of Heaven set up that Kingdom, which shall never be
destroyed. That was a wonderful occasion
that day. Because on that day, at energize
the apostles, and we hear the Apostle Peter standing up and
being the spokesman of the hour, if you will, he preached A
wonderful sermon that day in which he set forth.
The fact that Jesus was indeed the Christ.
The anointed one of God, the one that the prophet spoke about and
he said that it wasn't David that he was talking about when
he said over there, Thou shalt not suffer thine, Holy One to
see corruption nor his flesh to see corruption.
He said that referred to Christ and then he came down to the
climax of his sermon down there in verse 36.
When he said, let all the House of Israel know assuredly that
God hath made that same Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and
Christ. Now I want to tell you this when
that was spoken that was like a hammer breaking.
Those old Stony hearts into pieces because they realize they
had crucified godson, they'd kill the Lord Of Glory, and they
began to cry out and say men and Brethren.
What shall we do? Peter standing up with the
eleven said, repented Be baptized every one of you in the
name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall
receive the gift of the Holy Ghost for the promise, is unto
you to them that are far too to your children, to them, that are
far off as many as the Lord. Our God shall call with many
other words. Did he testify and exhort
saying, save yourselves from this untoward generation.
The Bible says, they that gladly received his word were baptized
and there were added unto them that day about three thousand
Souls. They continued steadfastly in
the apostles Doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread
and in prayers, fear Came Upon every soul and Many Wonders and
signs were done by the apostles. Then we read down there in verse
47. It says having favor with all
the people and the Lord added to the church daily.
Such as should be saved. Wasn't that a wonderful occasion
in Ephesians? The first chapter?
And verse 20? We hear Paul saying which he
wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him in
his own. Own right hand in the Heavenly
places. Far above all principality and
power and might and dominion and every name that is named not
only in this world but also in that which is to come and it's
made him to be head over all things to the church, which is
his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all.
Now, there's a question. When was Jesus set at God's
right hand as Paul spoke of there in Ephesians the first
chapter? Well, Acts 2 and verse 33 says,
therefore being by the right hand of God, exalted and having
received of the Father, the promise of the Holy Ghost, he
has shared forth this which you now.
See, and hear that occasion, was that great and notable day of
the Lord. Isaiah said, it shall come to
pass in the last days. When acts 2:17 it shall come to
pass in the last days. Saith God, I will pour out of my
spirit upon All Flesh. You know what Peter said this is
that that was spoken by the prophet Joel.
It was the last days. Zachariah, one in 16 said
therefore thus saith the Lord. I'm returned to Jerusalem with
mercies my house. Shall be built in it.
Saith the Lord. Of hosts and the lion shall be
stretched forth upon Jerusalem in Luke, 24 and verse 46.
Jesus said, thus, it is written, and thus it behoove Christ has
suffered to rise from the dead. The third day that repentance
and remission of sins should be preached in his name, among all
nations, beginning at Jerusalem, and you are witnesses of these
things. And behold I send the promise of
my father upon you but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until
you be Endued with power from on high.
Jesus told his disciples that the preaching of the Gospel was
to begin at Jerusalem and all the events that we've mentioned
here tonight took place there also.
So this strengthens the whole of what we have said acts 11 and
verse 18 says that Peter in recounting his mission to the
Gentiles over there at the house of Cornelius.
Said, as I began to speak The Holy Ghost fell on them, has on
us at the beginning, that was the beginning of the church.
The beginning of the reign of Jesus, since the apostles
received, the Holy Spirit, on the day of Pentecost, it follows
that the day of Pentecost is the day that the mountain of the
Lord's House was established. Now that happened about 9:00 in
the morning. You remember Peter said, This is
the third hour of the day that was at 9:00 in the morning.
And so, we've established here tonight that the church that
Jesus Built that Kingdom, that was prophesied by Isaiah and by
Daniel, and by those prophets of the Old Testament, had its
Inception. Its beginning shortly.
After Jesus crucifixion upon the cross, some 53 days, after he
was crucified, And it has continued since that time.
Now, the Lord willing tomorrow night, we're going to trace the
Journey of the church down Through the Ages as briefly as
we can, in the amount of time that is allotted to us.
But tonight, I'm through with this lesson and I hope that in
this study that we've had tonight, as brief as it is, that
you've been able to catch a glimpse of that Kingdom, that
shall never pass. Away shall never be destroyed
that. Daniel, and Isaiah spoke about.
Here's the wonderful thing about this tonight.
You and I can be members of that church that Kingdom Jesus said,
you know, to his disciples. He said I pointed to you a
kingdom. My table in My Kingdom, that you
may eat and drink at my table, in My Kingdom.
Jesus has a kingdom in that kingdom is his church.
He said to Peter, I'm going to build my church and I'll give
you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.
So we understand then the church and the kingdom described that
institution that Jesus promised to build and the prophets spoke
of in the Old Testament, and here's the wonderful part.
You and I can have a part in that great Kingdom.
And the way that we do that is by casting off all man-made,
opinions, and ideas, and simply taking God at his word.
Now, on that day of Pentecost, when people first become members
of it, they became Believers in. Jesus Christ.
They'd heard Peters matchless sermon, and they realize their
guilt and their distance from God.
And so Peter told them to do the next Thing which is to repent
and be baptized. And the Bible says they that
gladly received his word were baptized.
Now, here's a question. I want you to consider very
carefully tonight. If the Lord added people to the
church back in Bible times his church, who simply did what
Peter said, wouldn't the Lord adds you to the same
institution? If you did the same things, they
did sure he would because the Bible says, in Acts the 10th
chapter, and the believe it's verse 43, that God is no
respecter of persons. He's no respecter of persons in
every nation, he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is
accepted with him so that means that that you can be a member of
that church without ever joining any human denomination.
You can yield obedience to the gospel of Christ and the Lord
will add you to his church just like he did those back there on
the day of Pentecost. That's a wonderful and great
blessing. We don't have to pass in review
before some board of a cliche See a sticks and be voted on.
We don't have to join it as though.
We were joining, some Human Institution will obey the
gospel. The Lord saves us for our sins.
He adds us to the church, he writes our names in his Lamb's
Book of Life and we have that hope of Life Beyond this Vale of
tears, I may be speaking to someone tonight.
Who would walk right down the aisle?
Make that good confession. I believe that Jesus Christ, the
son of God be immersed in water. ER, in the name of the Sacred
thread, become a member of that church that you read about in
the Bible. We thank you for listening to
our podcast. Put on by the Church of Christ
at 22:15 plans. Road in Bakersfield, if you
would like any additional information or you would like to
receive a free Bible correspondence, course by mail.
Please email us at info at her Church of Christ.
Bakersfield.com. Our service times are on Sundays
at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. please,
make plans to join us. We would love for you to be our
honored guest