God Revealed – A New Testament JourneySample

Matthew: God’s Kingdom on Earth Matthew introduces the long awaited King bringing to earth His Kingdom with its multiple dimensions. Kingdom of Heaven on Earth The Kingdom of heaven is not experiencing on earth: - Wealth - Freedom from sickness - Unlimited powers - Mystic experiences without dealing with the sin. The Kingdom of heaven belongs to the: - Poor in spirit (5:3) - Persecuted for Christ’s sake (5:10) - Childlike in faith (18:1-10) Who work towards completely eliminating sin. Kingdom values, almost the opposite of earthly values are given in Christ’s beatitudes – 5:3-12. Descent of the King The wise men, King Herod, few shepherds and good men and women know that Jesus is the Messiah. The rest of the Jewish race remain blind – Isa 6:10. The Kingdom People John the Baptist (ch 3): - Has bare necessities - Is a bold and true “voice in the wilderness” heralding Christ - Dies a martyr’s death The disciples of Christ are those who choose to obey and live focused sacrificial lives as John the Baptist did (8:18-22,12:46-50,13). Kingdom Warfare Christ’s temptations (Matt 4:1-11) vividly illustrate the constant battle: - In the world - The external power struggle against Satan - In our lives - The internal battle against the flesh False prophets are Satan’s vehicles to deceive (Matthew 24:5,11,24, Matthew 7:15). The King Redeems and Conquers – ch 26-28 Innocent blood had to be shed in Christ’s most painful death – to usher in the Kingdom. We get spiritual redemption in this world (Kingdom on earth), and complete redemption in the world to come (Eternal Kingdom). The King Returns – ch 24 In addition to the discord on earth and increasing lawlessness, signs indicating Christ’s second coming include: - Antichrist and abomination of desolation - Sun, moon darkened, stars fall, powers of heaven shaken The second coming will be visible to all amidst a mighty trumpet blast to herald a perfect Kingdom and eventually a new heaven and earth. The King Commissions – ch 28 Jesus’ last words to those who choose to be His disciples: - I have all power on heaven and earth - Go to all the world - Make disciples - Baptize - Teach ALL my commands - I am with you always If we have not chosen Christ as Savior, that opportunity will not remain for long. If we have, in what ways are we personally implementing the great commission to open the Kingdom to others?