We're going to be reading from the 11th chapter of the Gospel
of Luke. Let Luke chapter 11 would begin
reading in verse 1. The Bible says it happened that
while Jesus was praying in a certain place after he had
finished one of his disciples said to him, Lord teach us to
pray. Just as John also taught his
disciples must have been an amazing thing to hear.
Someone like John the Baptist Pray to God.
Someone who had had such intimate in remarkable and
encounters with God unique in the history of the world.
There were other prophets, but that was not a common
experience, given to men and women over and over throughout
the years. What John new of God's Eternal
purpose. The tasks that had been laid
upon his shoulders, the burden that he felt for his people, and
for the unfolding of God's purpose.
And what it must have been to your him.
Pray, but all the more, what must have been to hear Jesus.
Pray, we only have a few examples in the scripture that
list or record in detail the words that he spoke on occasions
like that. I think John 17, of course, the
prayer that he prayed for his disciples and then later, the
prayer that was brief and repetitious.
In The Garden of Gethsemane, as he was begging God for
deliverance, if it were possible, but he prayed many
times in his life, he who knew God even in a greater and closer
way than John the Baptist or any other Prophet before.
And he had been in the bosom of the father, before he became
flesh to dwell Among Us what message of been to hear him
pray. And so, when the disciples heard
him were not surprised that they would ask.
Teach us to pray and he did in verse 2.
He said to them, when you pray, say our father who is in heaven,
Hallowed Be Your Name, Your Kingdom come.
Now he said more than that, and we're not going to go on and
look at the rest of this model or instructive prayer.
That Jesus presented to his disciples.
We're going to focus our attention on that one.
Online. Your kingdom come.
This comes into the theme of the meeting so far.
If you have not been with us in previous studies, the theme of
this meeting is the establishment and increase of
the kingdom of God. And so tonight we're going to
consider what Jesus meant when he taught his disciples to pray.
Your kingdom come. So tonight, we're going to be
talking about the establishment and increase of the kingdom of
God. I think this merits a little bit
of review from what we spoke about last evening.
What is the kingdom of God is the kingdom of God present in
the world today, if so? When was it established, is it
now all that it will ever be or does it have a future stage and
is that future stage going to be good and glorious?
Or is it going to be tragic and ended in Failure?
If the kingdom will grow and spread and increase?
How exactly would that happen? Well, these are the sorts of
questions. We're going to be working on in
this lesson, but first, we need to understand what the kingdom
is. The word Kingdom carries for
essential ideas within its definition.
We have them represented in the top panel farthest from me a
kingdom, refers to a rank, a rule, or realm and Terrain.
A rank is the power to rule then there is the Practical
expression or exercise of rule. There is the territory and the
people over which the rule is exerted.
And finally, there is the time when that power has been given
and the authority is being exercised and expressed.
Now the phrase kingdom of God or it's alternative in Matthew's
gospel Kingdom of Heaven. Furs in the Old Testament to the
rank rule realm and reign of God himself.
God, because he is, God has the Supreme right to rule over the
Earth. He created it for his own.
Pleasure says, the fourth chapter of the Book of
Revelation. It was made according to his
will and it exists. Rightly only, according to his
purposes, he rules over the universe by his decrees, which
brings certain things infallibility to pass.
And by his Revelations, which inform his intelligent
creatures, what he wants them to do and by his permissions, which
Grant certain creatures, the ability to do things, according
to their own will, some of which are actually contrary to his
revelation. His realm is the whole universe
spiritual and material visible and invisible, and his Reign is
without beginning, or end from Everlasting to Everlasting.
In the New Testament, these phrases find a new meaning, cast
around the person and work of Jesus Christ.
Jesus has received the Kingdom from the father and he has a
rank. And a rule and a realm and a
reign of his own. His rank was given to him by God
the Father his rule also consists of his own decrees and
permissions and Revelations. His realm is the whole universe
material and physical and visible and invisible.
His Reign had a beginning and there will come a time when it
concludes what it accomplishes its purposes.
Now, it's vital here to remember the Bible story.
Last evening, I suggested that we could break the Bible story
down into four related sections creation, corruption, correction
and completion in the first section creation.
God made the universe. So that he might rule over it
and receive glory in and through it.
And then, in the midst of the universe, he created Earth to be
his Temple and on the earth, he placed a garden called Eden in
which he would dwell and he filled that temple with humans
or at least that was his intention.
He put humans as priests within the temple.
Ministers of the sanctuary. Who would there be his image
bearers and Tate, the spread of his knowledge and Glory
throughout the world. At this point, everything was
very good because it was operating all precisely.
According to the rule of God, God spoke and it was so, and it
was good. The kingdom of God was intact
and in order, however, in the second stage of the Bible story,
the corruption things change significantly.
And for the worse, Humanity was led by Satan to rebel against
God. God's rule was abandoned in his
kingdom, became broken and disorderly.
Things were no longer the way that God wanted them to be and
all kinds of problems and evils began to permeate the universe
to its deepest and most fundamental parts.
And in the midst of God's realm a new rival, Kingdom was
established seeking to wrench more and more power away from
the Creator. This was the kingdom of Satan or
the kingdom of darkness as the scripture also calls it.
Now, at this moment, God might have destroyed the universe and
it would have been a very reasonable thing for him to do,
because it was no longer accomplishing the purpose for
which he created it, but instead he began the third section of
the Bible story, The correction and here, Gob set in motion a
plan to restore and redeem creation to put down the
rebellion and to destroy Satan. And his kingdom, and bring
everything back to his stage of goodness.
Once More by reclaiming, it under his Rule.
Now we should note that Jesus was present from the very
beginning of this story. The Bible tells us and passages
like John chapter 1 and Colossians chapter 1, that all
things were created through him. And without him nothing was
made, that was made by his word and his power.
All things came into existence and found their order and
structure and purpose and stability.
But Jesus Takes center stage in the correction narrative and
Here, we learn that God's Eternal plan was to give his
kingdom over to Jesus because Jesus was going to accomplish
some important works. That would ultimately result in
what the Bible calls the restoration of all things.
Acts chapter 3 and verse 21. That's very important to
understand that the work of Christ is not merely a work of
salvation. Sometimes I think people limit
it to that exclusively but Jesus is not merely a savior, the work
of Christ is a work of restoration and in restoring
creation back to God's purpose. Jesus will indeed save.
What can be saved? But he will also destroy what
cannot be saved. John the Baptist said that
Messiah would come with spirit and with fire with blessings,
but also with judgment those who Jesus saves and restores to the
kingdom are gathered together as the redeemed people of God,
called The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Finally beginning, to accomplish all that God intended Humanity
to accomplish from the start. When the Bible story ends, in
the last section of completion, we see a glorious vision of what
it will look like when Jesus accomplishes.
All that God intended in the universe, the story is essential
to appreciating some of the things that we're going to
consider. Today, I want to begin with
three questions, which will explain the establishment of the
kingdom of God. How did?
Jesus receive his rank. When did the Reign of Jesus?
Begin. And how is the rule of Jesus
expressed. If we answer all three of these
questions will know, a great deal of significant information
about the Bible story and especially about this Kingdom
concept. Now, you'll note that when I ask
these questions I'm putting them all in the past tense and sort
of revealing to you. You that I understand these
things have already happened. Of course.
There are many people in the world who would insist that none
of these things have happened and they put them off into a
future stage. Even after the second coming of
Jesus, as we consider the Bible answers to these three
questions. However, I think that we'll see
very plainly that a futuristic understanding of the kingdom of
Christ. Cannot be supported by
scripture. The Bible is very plain in
explaining how Jesus received his rank that is his right or
his authority to rule, it was given to him by the father.
Jesus said in Matthew 28:18, all authority has been given to me
in heaven and on Earth, of course, Jesus said this after
his death and his resurrection, and I believe that the Bible
teaches it was because of his death and his resurrection.
Direction that he received this Authority.
The Authority was a reward conditioned on his victory, over
Satan and sin and the curses of sin chiefly among them death and
this victory was accomplished by the cross.
And the resurrection of course foundational to this work was
Jesus coming to Earth and being incarnate in the form of a man.
During his time on Earth. Jesus could say the kingdom of
God is in your midst. The kingdom of God has come upon
you because in him, the kingdom was inaugurated already.
Its presence was already underway, but it was not merely
his life, but his death, which established the kingdom, fully
and provided, the means for Rebels for Sinners and the
kingdom of Satan to be pardoned. And Got back into the kingdom of
God in Matthew chapter 16 and verse 18.
Jesus famously told, his Apostles, that death would not
stop him, from establishing his congregation, his church, and
creating a people for himself in the world.
That little did Satan know that. It was actually through Jesus
death, that he would establish it and would defeat death and
sin. As the Bible says in Hebrews
chapter 2, Verses 14 and 15, he defeated death in his own death
because after he died, he rose again to life Everlasting and he
manifests his resurrection by many convincing proofs.
And then the Bible says that Jesus ascended back to heaven.
And in his Ascension, the scripture tells us that he led a
host of captives in his train that unusual statement.
Found in Psalm 68 verse 18, but it's quoted in Ephesians 4:8 and
the Apostle Paul applies it. To the Ascension of Jesus
Christ. It refers to Jesus, taking the
defeated devil and the evil spirits and demons and making a
spectacle of them before the Holy Angels.
And before God himself, as he vanished from the side of the
Apostles, on the The other side of the clouds.
The scripture says he was joined by an innumerable company of
Angels, the heavenly host in all of its glory and fullness and
they March together with him in a victory Triumph.
And behind him in Chains where the old agitators and enemies of
God's kingdom, Satan, and all of his spiritual forces and powers,
and they were LED in this Victorious.
Aid through the Gates of Heaven into the very presence of God
the father in Daniel chapter 7 verses 13 through 14.
The Bible tells us what happens next.
Daniel was caught up into the dwelling place of God and he was
given a vision from the Heavenly perspective.
He says I kept looking in the night visions and behold with
the Clouds Of Heaven one. Like the son of man was coming
now sometimes when he read a passage that talks Talks about
the son of man coming with the Clouds Of Heaven.
We might be intuitive to think it's talking about him.
Coming back to Earth the second time, that's not the case here.
Remember that? Daniel is viewing this scene
from up there, he's seeing Jesus, coming with the Clouds Of
Heaven up. There he is.
Coming up to the Ancient of Days, to the throne of God, the
father. And he was presented before him
and to Was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all
the peoples and Nations and Men of every language might serve
him. His Dominion is an everlasting
Dominion, which will not pass away.
And his kingdom is one, which will not be destroyed.
The writers of the New Testament, describe this in
several different ways. Mark, 16:19 simply says he was
received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God in
Acts 2 verse 34, Peter quoting. From Psalm, 110 says that When
Jesus ascended, the Lord said to my Lord, that is God, the father
told Jesus sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a
footstool for your feet. How do you remember what that
phrase means? Some of you weren't here last
evening, but last evening, we discovered that that expression
of footstool for your feet Was an old poetic way of describing
enemies being subjugated and brought under the power of the
rule of a king, sometimes by being utterly destroyed, and
sometimes by being made his Slaves by being forcibly pulled
out of the state of rebellion and Independence in which they
once lived. And now brought under his power.
God the father said, sit at my right hand until I make all your
enemies a footstool for your feet.
And Peter interpreted this to mean that God had given the
Throne of his father David to Jesus.
That's what he says in Acts chapter 2 and verse 30.
He gave him that Throne not on Earth but over the Earth in
heaven, it was not a chair. It was a position of authority
in the Nation of God's old Covenant promises to Israel long
before in Philippians 2:5-11. Paul says that Jesus could have
claimed the right to rule over the whole universe by his own
nature because he had equality with the father.
But in the interests of God's plan, he did not, he humbled
himself and he became a man. He was obedient to the father's
purposes even to the point of Of death on the cross.
And for this reason also God highly exalted him and bestowed
on him the name which is above every name.
So that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow of those who
are in heaven and on the earth and under the Earth and that
every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the
glory of God, the father. Now if the rank of Jesus was
given to him on the basis of the Read that he won by his death
and Resurrection. Then he has that right now
because he has accomplished that work.
So the reign of Jesus Christ which begins when the rank is
received, has already begun. We know that this is true
because all of the language that we have just read about sitting
down on a throne at God's right hand and being given a kingdom
and given dominion and being highly.
Exalted over all peoples and receiving a name that is above
every name. Well, this is coordination
language. It's the language of the
official installment of a king and the Bible says that all of
that happened when Jesus ascended and returned to Heaven,
two, thousand years ago. If there was any doubt, Jesus,
demonstrated, what had taken place in Heaven by wonderful
signs on the Earth? Do in particular, the baptism in
the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost and the destruction of
Jerusalem in ad 70. I believe that when John the
baptizer said that Messiah would come and he would baptize in the
spirit and in fire, that fire was specifically a reference to
God's judgment against Jerusalem.
This was the great and terrible day of the Lord that had been
foretold by the prophet Joel in Joel chapter 2.
ER, to the baptism in the spirit, symbolized, all the
blessings that God gives to those who are redeemed into the
kingdom, and the destruction of Jerusalem, symbolize the
Judgment against those who reject the Messiah by the
removal of old Israel, and their replacement with the true
spiritual Israel, the New Jerusalem, which had come down
from heaven, the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And if we have ears to hear and eyes to see, These things were
designed by God and they were laid out on the landscape of
History to show us incontrovertibly indisputably
unequivocally that Jesus Christ has become king and he is
raining. Now, now, there's one more
question. Along this line that we need to
answer. How is the rule of Christ
expressed It's one thing to say that Jesus is King, but it's not
much of a kingdom. If the king cannot express his
will and express our expect the people to obey it.
If I told you that I was the king of Madagascar, but nobody
in Madagascar. Knows it.
I've never been there. I've never met any of them.
They've never heard of me. They've never heard anything
that I've said, but I'm the king of Madagascar.
You'd say yes. Some King.
Not very impressive. So, how can Jesus be the king of
the universe if Jesus is in heaven, and his people are on
earth? I don't know how Jesus rules
over angels. I know that he does the Bible
says that God has placed the Angels under his feet.
I don't know how Jesus exercises his authority over the sainted
dead. I know that he does because
Jesus said that Abraham and Isaac.
And Jacob and all those Noble, faithful men, and women of God
from the ages past. Said in the Kingdom of the
Messiah. I don't know how Jesus
exercises, his rule over infants, but I know that he does
because Jesus said of such, is the Kingdom of Heaven.
I don't know how Jesus exercises, his rule, over the
lower creation, centipedes, and rhinoceroses and giraffes and
octopuses are however, the you say the plural of that, and
Those and volcanoes and black holes and how does Jesus keep
all that going the way that it should?
Well, I don't know that the Bible affirms his authority over
all those things but it doesn't seem to be that interested in
it. It doesn't explain it, it simply
affirms it, but the Bible does answer this question.
How does Jesus rule over the church?
That's an important question to answer.
Jesus, when he prophesied the establishment of the church in
Matthew. 16:18 then said in verse 19 to the Apostle, Peter,
I will give to you the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and
whatever you bind on Earth will have been bound in heaven and
whatever you loose on Earth will have been loosed in heaven.
This language about Keys is an Old Testament prophetic image.
For stewardship and authority. Jesus was making Peter the
custodian. Over the kingdom, he would be
gone. Someone would have to take care
of it in his absence, and it would be the Apostle.
Peter, he would become the mouthpiece of Jesus Christ in
the world. And Jesus would communicate his
authority to the church through Peter.
Now, that promise which was initially given to Peter is
extended to the whole College of the Apostles in John 14 verses
16 through 21 and 26, John 16 verse Verses 7 through 15 and
John 20 verses 22 to 23. And the promise was fulfilled on
the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came to them as a
Helper and began to work in them.
And those to whom they gave the gifts of the Spirit until they
had received and delivered the complete body of the testimony
and teaching that constitutes, the will of King Jesus and
deposited it in the Holy scriptures so that it Be present
for all believers in all ages, throughout all time.
And thus, those who would be servants and subjects of King
Jesus today. No, and obey his rule by
continuing steadfastly in the apostles teaching.
That's what the Bible says. In Acts chapter 2, Jesus was
already gone from the Earth but his kingdom was proclaimed.
And people said, what should we do?
And when they were pardoned and brought into his kingdom, they
continued steadfastly in the apostles teaching Acts 2 and
verse 42 says. Now, what this means is that,
there is no reason why Jesus should not be understood as
ruling and reigning. Now, his Reign was inaugurated
at his Ascension. His rule is expressed in the
teaching of the Apostles. Apostles, which is now given to
us and the New Covenant scripture and in its
interpretation and application of the old Covenant scripture
and with all of this considered It's very common for someone to
object and say, well, if this is the reign of Christ, it isn't
very impressive. I mean, just look at the
condition of the world, but there's much we could say about
that. And perhaps, as the meeting
continues, will say more, but I think that the most important
response to that objection is to remember that the reign of Jesus
Christ is not the completion stage of the Bible story.
The reign of Jesus Christ is the ultimate manifestation of God's
purpose in the correction stage. The reign of Jesus Christ is
about fixing the broken world. That's the very reason that it's
happening. That's the reason it was
inaugurated to begin with. It's true that right now,
everything is not yet the way that it should be, but because
of the reign of Jesus Christ, the power of God is now present
in the world for everything to get there in time.
So that brings us to our next question.
How is the kingdom of God practically manifest in our
lives? And in the lives of our families
and our communities and in Nations and all over the world?
How should we expect to see it increasing and progressing?
I believe that the Bible teaches the kingdom of God in Christ is
Manifest and grows in four ways. I remember when I talked about
the kingdom of God in Christ, I'm not only talking about the
institution of the church, that's part of this thing.
We're discussing, that's a society that is formed and
created through the work that Christ is doing.
But I'm talking about the rank and Rule and realm and rain.
Reign of Jesus in all of its fullness.
How does that grow? How does it go?
How do we see it in the world? First, we see it through the
conversion of the Lost second. We see it through the
transformation of the saved into the image of Jesus third.
We see it through the unification of Believers and
forth. We see it through the increase
of the knowledge of God. God, the education of humanity
to a better grasp of who God is and what God has done and what
God is doing and what God wills. And as these four things
increase, then the church increases and the kingdom of
God, fills the Earth, more and more and more, where these
things are not present. The kingdom of God is Not.
Not yet present. That has the potential to be
there. It's been inaugurated, but it's
not there yet until these things happen in history, the
conversion of the Lost involves the preaching of the Gospel that
is the proclamation of God's work.
In ancient Israel, culminating in the Incarnation of Jesus
Christ, and his death and burial, and resurrection and
Ascension and glorious reign. Faith in Jesus, which were going
to talk about tomorrow night submission to Jesus through some
repentance and baptism resulting in justification by the pardon
of our sins. This is how one who was
previously, a rebel against God in the Kingdom of Satan, or of
darkness is taken out of that condition in the Bible says in
Colossians chapter 1, verses 13 and 14 translated out of the
kingdom of darkness and And into the kingdom of the son of God's
love. Now the transformation of the
saved into the image of Christ is also necessary.
It's not enough for God to Simply forgive Sinners, just
pardoning criminals. Does not restore his rule over
the Earth, they're going to have to change from criminals into
law-abiding, citizens from centers into something.
Greater something that obeys God's Commandments.
That's why they need to be transformed into the image of
Jesus. God created Humanity to be his
image Bearer. There was never anyone on Earth
who was more perfectly the image bearer of God, then Jesus
Christ, he is the express image of the invisible.
God, the Bible says and thus, we find our purpose in him.
We find the Fulfillment of the real reason we were made by our
Conformity Into His Image by are following his pattern by are
imitating, him more and more. And this is a painful and
lifelong process. The Apostle Paul calls it being
led by the spirit of God and that doesn't sound too bad, but
then he goes on to discuss that being led by the spirit of God.
Involves the person, you used to be dying.
And not dying easily, not dying in his sleep, but being
crucified mortified, put to death, you take the old
character, the old lifestyle, the old Ambitions, and loves,
and wishes, and dreams, and hopes.
Those that had bound you to Satan and made you part of his
kingdom, and you kill those things.
So that when they die a new life can be formed a life.
In the likeness of Jesus as the flesh.
No longer is the guiding principle of life.
It is replaced by the spirit, which has been LED and filled
and directed and educated. By the holy spirit of God,
through the teaching of the word of God.
And over, the course of many years, a radical change takes
place. And one who was like, Satan,
Begins to resemble Jesus and each time a growth a movement
forward takes place. The kingdom of God is more
abundantly present in this world.
Then we have the unity of Believers, the unity of
Believers refers to the increasing Oneness of heart and
mind, and the supernatural christ-like.
Love that binds. All of Jesus followers together
into a great worldwide Brotherhood.
By their growing apprehension of christ-like character.
And the truth of Christ is revealed in the apostles
teaching. When you become more like Jesus,
you grow closer to others who are doing the same and something
amazing begins to happen. Old enemies.
Begin to be brothers and sisters, the oppressor and the
oppressed embrace one, another and love one another and they
take their swords and they beat them into plowshares and their
Spears, and they beat them into pruning hooks because they've
changed and they're going to study war.
No more. That's what the Bible says
happens in this world. When the kingdom of God comes to
it. It and finally the knowledge of
God refers to the understanding of God's self-revelation which
results in a fuller grasp of his glory and majesty and a greater
strength to triumph over the lies of the devil.
It is the result of Bible study and teaching and participation
and worship and all aspects of the life of the church, which
God has designed for the edification of his people.
Now, you'll note that each of these Four principles are
mutually, codependent and supportive of one.
Another, in fact, in reality, one cannot occur without the
others and one necessarily leads to the others.
You cannot turn to God, really. Without being transformed into
the image of Christ, you cannot be transformed into the image of
Christ without growing in love, for others who are experiencing
the same. You cannot be transformed
without growing in the Ruth, the knowledge of the truth and will
of Christ. And so these things all flow
together in one great, glorious Direction toward one ultimate
end. Jesus is making a redeemed.
People in this world right now. By these principles, he is
redeeming you and me, and all of us by these principles.
And when he is finished, he will take his people now converted
transformed unified and enlightened, and he willfully
deliver them from the curse by giving them immortality in the
resurrection and utterly purging from the universe, all the
remaining vestiges of rebellion and satanic influence.
And then the Bible says, he will give that rescued.
Creation over to God, the Father for his eternal glory.
So that God, may be all in all. That is the kingdom of God,
that's how the kingdom of God, comes and grows and increases.
Now in Matthew 6:10 and Luke chapter 11 verse 2.
Jesus taught his disciples that when they pray.
Are you one of his disciples then I should change that?
Shouldn't I should say when we pray, we should pray and open
our prayers with the petition to this effect.
Your kingdom, come. This is God's purpose and Jesus
wants it to become our purpose as well and because God has made
us as his priests in this world he has made us with a tremendous
intercessory power. Where our petitions to him help
to bring his will to pass in the world.
And so Jesus said, all of this can only happen.
If it begins to dominate our cries to God, the Father,
Father, your kingdom, come before you ask anything for
yourself before you say, give us this day, our daily bread and
forgive us of our sins and do not lead us into temptation
before you say anything about that.
Pray first for God's purpose to be accomplished your kingdom
come. Now, some people who have seen
the problems with the idea that the reign of Christ is Future
and will not begin until his second coming.
We know that, that cannot be true.
We know that Christ is raining now.
So some people who have seen that have I think mistakenly
concluded that this prayer is no longer appropriate for Christ.
People, I've heard people preach that all of my life. in fact, I
think I've preached that before, They suppose that when Jesus
said these words, when you pray, pray your kingdom.
Come that. All he meant was that the
disciples should pray for the establishment of the Kingdom
through his death. Resurrection Ascension, and the
outpouring of the spirit. Now, if that was all that Jesus
meant, I would agree that we should no longer be asking for
that to happen. I'm not in the habit of praying
for the Virgin birth. To take place because it already
took place and I don't expect that.
It should ever happen again. And if Jesus meant pray for the
day of Pentecost, pray for my crucifixion and resurrection and
Ascension into Glory. If that's what he meant then we
ought not to pray that anymore. But I don't believe that's what
Jesus meant. This example, prayer, first of
all is given in the midst of The Sermon, on the Mount, which was
designed to teach how we should live within his kingdom.
Not how people should live in the Old Testament, to prepare
for his kingdom. And most importantly, it is
given in the style of Hebrew poetry now, some of us might not
know much about Hebrew poetry. Some of us might not know much
about any delish poetry and it can be a little difficult to
understand sometimes, but in Hebrew poetry, the chief
characteristic of Hebrew poetry is a structure called
parallelism. Now depending on what printing
of the Bible you use, you will note that in certain parts of
the Bible. When a poem is being recorded,
you will see the Lions or sort of staggered like this into two
verse sets. And that's how, you know, I'm
reading a poem here, I'm not reading Pros.
Now, the two verse sets are coupled together and they work
together to get the message across by relating to one
another somehow, the first verse said, and the second verse set
are parallel in some respects sometimes, they mean the same
thing. The first and the second are
just two ways of saying the same thing.
Sometimes the second verse set is the opposite of the first
verse set. Sometimes the second verse set
completes the idea of the first four set.
The Beatitudes are written this way.
Blessed are the poor in spirit. Why for theirs is the Kingdom of
Heaven. You say the second verse set,
explains the first one. But the most common form of
parallelism in Hebrew. Poetry is when they both
basically mean the same thing. The second percent simply
repeats the idea of the First with greater Clarity, it
amplifies, it and explains it. Such is the case in Matthew 6,
and verse 10, when Jesus says that we ought always to pray
your kingdom, come, he explains that he does not mean pray for
the day of Pentecost to happen. He means pray your will be done
on Earth as it is in heaven. That's how the kingdom comes.
That's what it means for the kingdom of God, to be really
present in this world. Not just for Jesus to be
enthroned in glory, but for people on earth, To submit
themselves to his Rule and to live out, his will on Earth as
it is in heaven. Rather Steve's prayer was
beautiful. I love to hear him pray and he
painted for us, a very graphic picture of the disparity between
Earth and Heaven. but the purpose of the kingdom of God is
to bring Heaven to Earth, That is its purpose and it happens
through the conversion of the lost, the transformation of the
saved, into the image of Jesus Christ, the unification of
Believers, and the increase of the knowledge of God, Jesus is
Calling on us to pray for the increase of the Kingdom to its
completion. And that work remains to be done
in my life. And in yours and in all the
world, how does the kingdom of God in Christ?
Come by the rebellious World, being conquered and reclaimed by
Jesus Through The Gospel and thus restored to the rule of
God. This is God's will and he would
have it become our will also