5 Minute Read

Prepare Your Heart

To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.

Read God’s Word

1 Chronicles 11-12
John 18:25-40

A Verse for Today

Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.

John 18:36 (CSB): ” ‘My kingdom is not of this world,’ said Jesus. ‘If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight, so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.'”

Reflecting on God’s Word

The phrases “Kingdom of God” and “Kingdom of Heaven” appear about 100 times in the Bible. In fact, John the Baptist’s and Jesus’ first recorded words in their distinctive ministries were about the Kingdom.

Matthew 3:1-2 (CSB): “In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, ‘Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near!'”

Matthew 4:17 (CSB): “From then on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near.'”

The Kingdom is a major theme in the New Testament, and we would do well to pay attention to it.

So, let’s begin with a basic question: “What IS the Kingdom of God/Heaven?”

Let’s begin to answer that question by looking at the very words Jesus used in the verse I have chosen for today.

John 18:36 (CSB): ” ‘My kingdom is not of this world,’ said Jesus. ‘If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight, so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.'”

So the Jesus’ Kingdom is not of this world. It’s not like a kingdom that we’re familiar with. It doesn’t have barrier walls. It doesn’t have a visible army. It doesn’t require taxes. As Jesus said, it’s not of this world.

Simply put, the Kingdom is the rule and reign of Jesus as king in the hearts of every single person who is trusting in Him alone for salvation.

So, the kingdom exists now. It’s just not fully visible.

The implications of this are simple and profound. Jesus is the King. If you are trusting in Him to make you right in God’s eyes, you’re a citizen. And your duty is to obey your king. Whatever the King says, your answer is already “yes.”

So what are some of the biggest things that we are saying “yes” to? First, we are to seek the glory and good of our king. Jesus is the King of all kings, and the Lord of all lords. Our very life should demonstrate how wonderful he is to a watching world.

Second, the King has told us to increase His Kingdom. Where to go and make disciples (a.k.a. “Jesus-followers”). That means we are to go to people who are not a part of the Kingdom, share the good news of the Gospel with them, and invite them into the Kingdom to enjoy and obey our king. It also means that we must love fellow believers enough to loving confront them in their sin and encourage them to be loyal subjects and obedient to their and our King.

Third, we are to do warfare against the enemy. Ephesians 6 makes it clear that our enemy is not people. It’s not flesh and blood. Our enemy is our King’s enemy – Satan and his forces. So we don’t pick up guns and swords and rocks to fight. Instead, we pick up God’s Word, fall to our knees in prayer, and stand against the enemy, his ideology, and everywhere he is claiming the hearts of people that Jesus loves and wants to redeem.

The beauty of the Kingdom is that it only gets better. When we breathe our last breath and enter into eternity, the invisible Kingdom becomes visible. Our faith is turned into sight and we get to actually see King Jesus! We get to bow before Him and we get to enjoy being with the redeemed and righteous saints, who entered the Kingdom just as we did (repetance toward God, faith in Jesus) forever!

Are you in the Kingdom?

Spend Time in Prayer

  • If you are not yet saved (not yet in the Kingdom), why not ask Jesus to save you now? Consider clicking here to understand how you are to do this.
  • If you are already saved (in the Kingdom), then ask God to help you be more surrendered to Him. Ask Him to help you to be instantly and completely obedient to Him, your King.
  • If you are saved, then look for opportunities to share the Good News of the Gospel with others so that they can enter the Kingdom in this life, and then enter its full experience in eternity.

Going Deeper

If you want to dig a little deeper into … , consider reading the following GotQuestions article:

“What does it mean that a person will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)?”

“What does it mean to seek first the kingdom of God?”

Sharing

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Matt Ellis is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Polk City, Florida (fbcpolkcity.com)