This Gospel of the Kingdom 2

[Background Music] [Narrator] Church and fellowships cannot be more spiritual than the individuals and families that constitute them. God greatly desires a godly homefront. These are words of restoration and instruction in righteousness from Family Tent Ministry. May you be blessed as you listen. [Speaker 1] [Singing] Father, we declare Father, we declare that we love you. We declare an everlasting love for you. Oh, Lord, we declare, Father, we declare That we love you. We declare an everlasting love for you. Lord, indeed we declare an everlasting love for you. Indeed, Lord, we are very, very grateful for the gift of eternal life. The Bible says the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ. Lord, we thank you for this free gift of life. Because it is a gift, we are very conscious, we are aware that if something is a gift, then it's not a product of work because work is what a man earns. Whatever a man gets from his work, he earns them. But Lord, the Bible says the free gift of God is eternal life. Lord, we thank you for this free gift of life. Thank you for offering us life in the Gospel. We bless your holy name, our God. We give you glory. We give you honor. We give you adoration. Lord, as we look into scripture together again, fellowshipping with one another, fellowshipping with the scriptures, fellowshipping in the scripture, fellowshipping with your Spirit, Lord, we pray, let your Spirit work among us, within us, in the name of Jesus Christ. Lord, our God, bring again to bear today all the light of your Spirit in the name of Jesus Christ. Lord, give light to our darkness. Give light to our darkness. Grant us direction and instruction from your word in the name of Jesus Christ. Thank you, eternal Father. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen. Please let's have our seat. We want to move on from where we started last week. We started a very important topic last week which we called "This Gospel of the Kingdom." This Gospel of the Kingdom. We took our text from 2 Timothy 1. 2 Timothy 1. "This Gospel of the Kingdom." We read verse 9, verse 10, and verse 11. I'm reading from the New King James Version. Verse 8: "Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles." So, we took our topic from verse 10 where the Bible talks about God bringing life and immortality to light through the Gospel. So we said, "This Gospel of the Kingdom." And last week, we raised about four or five important issues about the Gospel. Number one, we made it very clear that the purpose of God at a point in time, the purpose of God started before time, in verse 9. He says this thing was given to us before time began, but has now been revealed. That the purpose of God for our life, the purpose of God for mankind, the purpose of God for our salvation was actually before time. And because it was before time, the Old Testament was a shadow of what God had before time, before time began. The prophets, the righteous men, all of them, they prophesied about it but they did not understand it. They did not understand it. And then last week we pointed to where Jesus told His disciples, "Blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear." Because several people, righteous men, holy men, they wanted to hear this thing but they could not hear it. So we made something very clear that we should be careful when it looks as if God is granting us revelation, God is making you to have insight into certain things. Don't think it is because of your works, because we noted that in verse 9. He said, "who saved us and has called us not according to our works, but according to His own purpose." The purpose of God was not to reveal the totality of the Gospel in the Old Testament. That was why everybody in the Old Testament could not totally understand the Gospel. Not until we came in the New Testament, the Bible says these things start getting clearer in Christ. And then I also made a very strong point last week. I said it is important for you to know, the Bible says, "but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ." I made a very strong point last week that see, don't let anybody mystify Jesus for you. The things about Jesus, the things about our salvation, the things about our redemption, the things about our eternal life, all of those things for now, God allowed everything to be revealed. Don't let anybody to mystify Jesus. If you really understand what God is doing in the New Testament, God is bringing us to a point of understanding where we will understand what He is doing with our life, where He is taking our life to, His purpose for our life. Christians are not expected to be people who are confused. They are not expected to be people who don't know where God is taking their life to. They are not supposed to be seeking one prophet, one this, one that, meat one prophetess on the mountain, on the hill, all of that, trying to know, please help me check what do I have for my future? No, because the Bible says, "but has now been revealed in Christ." Then I also made a very strong point last week. I said we must understand that the Bible says, "but has now been revealed in Christ" because the Gospel is about Christ. And I said it is important for you to know that if you actually came in through Christ, then if you go in and you come out, you will find pasture. If actually you enter into the Kingdom through Christ, because I made some things clear last week that "This Gospel of the Kingdom," when Jesus was speaking in John 1:12-14, he said these are those who were born, not by the will of the flesh, nor by the will of man, but by God. I said we should be careful. There are those who are born by the will of the flesh. There are those who are born by the will of man. But he made it clear. If any man actually enter through Christ, if that man go in and come out, he will find pasture. That is, the person will not be lacking in understanding. Pasture is what the sheep needs to grow. If anybody come in through Christ, if your salvation is actually through Christ—not that some of us find ourselves inside church because of so many factors. I'm inside church because my father is a pastor. I'm inside church because in church now, good things happen. Some come into church because they can get good wives. Some, they just felt that my friends are going there, let me too go along with my friends. So I made something clear that if you came in through Christ, then it must be to you that "This Gospel of the Kingdom," we are at a time where things will be made manifest and in Christ, things will be made manifest. I want to move on from where I left the matter last week. I just quickly did a summary. He says, "but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ," who did what? Who abolished death, that's number one. What is number two? He brought life. Then he brought—please note these three things—number one, the Lord Jesus abolished death. Number two, He brought life. Number three, He brought immortality to light. Do you notice something? He said He brought it to light. Please note, He brought it to light through the Gospel. He brought it to light. Why not He brought it to men? I'm coming to that very soon because actually it was brought to men. Was it not brought to men? It was brought to men. But He said He brought it to light. He brought it to light. Now, in bringing it to light, please note something. He brought it to light through the Gospel. You know what I'm trying to say? This Gospel of the Kingdom, essentially, should do three things: one, abolish death; two, bring life; and three, bring immortality. He said He brought it to light through the Gospel. He brought it to light through the Gospel. How do we understand that? Please look at something in Matthew. He brought it to light. He brought it to light through the Gospel. I want us to see something in the early chapter of Matthew. He brought it to light. He brought it to light through the Gospel. I'm going to verse 16, but I want to take it from verse 12. Please follow me. He says: "Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: 'The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.'" Who came to their region? Jesus Christ. When He came, the Bible says something was fulfilled by that coming. What was fulfilled is that the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light and that those who are at the shadow of death—two things. They were in darkness. Two, they were at the shadow of death. You know what that means? What does that means? Anywhere there is the shadow of something, where is that thing? If something is in your shadow, where is that thing? They are around me, they are in my presence. The people who were already on death list. The people that death has cornered. The people that were already in death's presence. Death doesn't need to go and be looking for them again; they already his own. He said those people who sat in the shadow of death, the Bible says what? Light has dawned. Now, I'm taking you with: the Gospel brought, abolished death; number two, brought life; number three, brought immortality to light. That was done through the Gospel. This Gospel of the Kingdom. Now, what is the Gospel? The people, when Jesus arrived at a place, He got to a particular place, those people, the Bible says, have seen light. When He got to Timothy, the Bible says that the Gospel brought all of this; it abolishes death, then it brought all of those things into light. Are you following something? We understood from Matthew that Jesus is the light. Is that not? Now, the Bible is telling us that everything that God brought into light, He brought it to light through the Gospel. What is the Gospel? What I'm trying to make you understand, what I'm trying to make you see, is that this Gospel of the Kingdom, if it is not to you—please listen to me very well. If this Gospel of the Kingdom, it is not to you a consistent and continuous revelation of Jesus, you are not inside that Gospel. If the Gospel, please listen and get it very clearly. The Gospel of the Kingdom is not a set of activities. The Gospel of the Kingdom is not belonging to my church or me belonging to your church. That's not the Gospel of the Kingdom. The Gospel of the Kingdom is not being in a particular unit and being very active. The Gospel of the Kingdom is not even just reading the Bible. The Gospel of the Kingdom—I want to make this thing very clear—is not just attending church and being very active. No. This Gospel of the Kingdom, this Gospel, because what God did by the Gospel was that God abolished death. Is that not? Number two, God brought life and immortality to light, and it was done by the Gospel. But we're able to understand from Matthew, apart from the fact that Jesus later told us that "I am the light of the world." You know He told us that later. He says, "I am the light of the world. He that does not walk in me walks in darkness." He is the light of the world. If you check in John 3, he said light came but men don't love light, they love darkness more than light. So we know He's the light. Now the Bible now says that what God did, He brought it to light by the Gospel. It means this Gospel of the Kingdom, anyone who is actually experiencing the Gospel, the Gospel is actually a continuous revelation of the person of Jesus Christ. If the Gospel to you is not a constant seeing of Jesus, can I announce to you, death will not be abolished in your life. You will not experience life and immortality. That is why you have several people inside our churches today. Because I'm going to explain what is death? What is life? What is immortality? These are the three things that the Gospel is supposed to bring. But the first thing I want you to see is that the Gospel is not just a set of doctrine. The Gospel is not just a set of belief. My church we believe this. My own place we believe that. No. The Gospel is not belonging to a church. The Gospel is not being active in any Christian gathering. No. This Gospel of the Kingdom, what God did by the Gospel was that God abolished death. Is that not? Number two, God brought life and immortality into light, and it was done by the Gospel. But we understand from Matthew that Jesus is the light. So essentially when we say you encounter the Gospel, what we mean by this Gospel of the Kingdom is that somebody, an individual, entered into a platform or come into an experience where Jesus is daily revealed to him. Where Jesus is daily encountered. On a daily basis, you are encountering a person because when you say light, light is a person. Jesus is the light we are talking about. It was when He arrived in that place that the Bible says those at the shadow of death they saw light. So anywhere you cannot find Jesus, there is no light. So any set of thing, whatever you are doing that you call Christianity, whatever you are doing that you call the Gospel, if it is not bringing a continuous encounter with the person of the Lord Jesus, can I announce to you, what you have is fake. What you have is not genuine. And how will you know that it's not genuine? You will discover that even though you seem to be part of the so-called church, on a continuous basis, there is no this thing happening with you. He said Jesus abolished death. Not that Jesus will abolish death. Jesus abolished death. He did not stop there. It went further again. What was Jesus doing? He was bringing life and immortality. The experience of these three things is only possible through this Gospel of the Kingdom. The whole essence of the Gospel, the reason why we say we have the Gospel of Jesus, is that God intended to abolish death. God intended to bring life. God intended to make available immortality. And you will find this thing consistently in the confession of Jesus. If you notice Jesus' discourse, you will find that in John 10:10, what did He say? "The thief cometh not but to steal, to kill, and to destroy, but I have come that you may have life." You will see this thing consistently. Now, if the Bible says that through the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior, who abolished 1, 2, 3, 4 through the Gospel, it means the Gospel of the Lord Jesus, the one that is of the Lord Jesus, what should he do in our life? He should accomplish those three things. And that is the Gospel of the Kingdom. Now, the reason why we keep saying this Gospel of the Kingdom, this Gospel of the Kingdom, is that before the arrival of Jesus, there was a kingdom. We were inside a kingdom. We were living inside that kingdom. And what characterizes that kingdom? Three things. What's the first one? Death. Death. Because he abolishes death. Then he brought life. You said that other kingdom too, there is no life. And inside that kingdom, there is no immortality. Now Jesus, the essence of the Gospel of the Kingdom is to abolish death, is to bring life, is to make available immortality. Now please, brethren, I want to quickly call our attention to something. Now, number one is that it is important for you to know that the foundation of this Gospel, please listen, this Gospel that is centered on the Lord Jesus, the foundation of the Gospel is actually a mystery. It's actually a mystery. And somebody has asked me that why is it like that? I said it is because the foundation of death is a mystery. Have you ever asked yourself, how will Adam sin and you also sinned in Adam? Have you ever asked yourself that? You are saying "this Gospel, this Gospel." Does it make sense? Just try to look at it rationally, does it make any sense? Somebody is telling you that actually when Adam was eating that thing, you were there. How does this connect? Or put it the other way: Adam ate it on your behalf. Don't you say "how?" If you don't understand that the foundation of sin is a mystery, you will never be able to walk in the righteousness that is in Jesus because it's a mystery. The foundation—I said I'm going to address what is death. I'm going to address those three things: what is death, what is life, what is immortality? But the first thing I'm trying to make you see: the Gospel that is about Jesus Christ, this Gospel that is about Jesus Christ, you must understand—except it is centered on something else. If it is centered on Jesus, that Gospel is a mystery. Because what Jesus came to address was something that is a mystery. We died mysteriously. Our death is a mystery because you cannot explain how one man die and all died. Can you explain it? Try to give a logical explanation. That is why you will notice that there are sects, religious sects so-called, like the Grail Messenger, that will tell you that the foundation of the Christian Gospel is nonsense. How will you say we sin in Adam? Adam sinned for himself. Me and Adam are a different person from Adam. So you can't be saying that I'm a sinner because Adam sinned. No, no, that's not correct. Whoever sin should die. How did one man die and say me I died? You get the point I'm making. But that is the reality. The reality is that the Bible says the mystery of iniquity. The Bible called iniquity a mystery. And when you look at it again, when you come to 1 Timothy 3, what did the Bible say about the Gospel? It says, "Great is the mystery of godliness." Great is the mystery of godliness. The more we want to try to subject the Gospel of the Lord Jesus to reason, the more we want to try to subject it to logical reasoning, the more we will not be able to live by that Gospel. Because that is where we are having great problem today. Now, what shows us that this Gospel, the foundation of it is a mystery? I'll be looking at more serious thing in John chapter 3:1-16 and Numbers 21, but first I want to look at 1 Corinthians. 1 Corinthians. I'm reading from the verse 18: "For the message of the cross"—which cross is that now? Why is he talking about the message of the cross? He's talking about the Gospel again. I want to be looking at the different way the Gospel is represented. Why is it the message of the cross? Because Jesus suffered and died through the process of the cross. In everything was by that cross. He was to be crucified. They first need to flog him. He need to carry it. All of those things was by the cross. So the message—when you say the message of the cross, what are we talking about again? We are talking about who? Talking about Jesus. I always want to make you see that any time the Bible talking about the Gospel, it is always saying talking about what Jesus did. There is nothing in addition to it. And that is why, if you are truly encountering the Gospel, I am telling you today, if you are not daily—please mark my word—it's not just reading Bible. I'm reading Bible, I'm going to church, I'm in this. No. Several men are like that. But go and check their lives. What brings life is that on a daily basis, you are encountering the person of Jesus. Jesus said, "except you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you have no life in you." It is a daily eating of Jesus. Daily eating, daily eating. You are eating Him. That is the life. You are taking life. It is anywhere He is that there is life and light. It is a daily an encounter with a living person. It's not some religious belief. When you say "the way," what is the way? The way is a person. He said "I am the way." When you say "the truth," what is the truth? It's a person. When you say "life," what is life? A person. Do you see that? Everything we are talking about is about who? A person. A person who is alive. Jesus is not Sango that died many years ago that they are now worshipping now. Jesus died and rose again on the third day according to the scripture. We are serving a living God. So it's a daily encounter with a living person. It's not just the way they worship all these Sango gods. You go to Ojubo Ogun, you go to the shrine, you worship, you do this, you do that, you don't encounter him. This one's not like that. That one is religion. We have made religion too out of Jesus. We have made several religion. The image of so many things. Some will carry—one of these days we'll talk about what do we mean when the Bible says, "let him take up his cross." Because people think that when you put the cross on your chest, carrying the cross. And you know when we were still blind, you know what it means to carry the cross. Put it under our pillow. "Agbélébú Jésù sábẹ́ pílò ẹ," ah, the devils will not disturb you. They will deal with you even though you put the cross under the pillow. Some will tie it on their doorpost. And the funny one, some will make it a big stick. S-O Jesus. They will be carrying the stick, they are coming, they will be doing like this. These are just image of things above. Because you must not worship any image of things above, or things on earth, or things below. You don't make image out of anything. Jesus is a living person. He is alive. He is alive. You don't need one thing to represent Him. Some will say, ah, when you climb this mountain, you will encounter Jesus. Jesus don't live on one mountain. Even the height of the height and the heavens of the heavens cannot contain Him. He's everywhere. Anywhere two or three are gathered, I am there. You just hold on and say "Father, Lord Jesus," He's there. Hallelujah. You see, he's here because He said "I am with you always, even to the end of the world." So understand what we are talking about. It is a daily encounter with a living person. You know the way you talk with your parents, the way you see them and there is a live conversation? The way you talk with your friend and there is a live conversation? Are you understanding me? That is what we mean when we say you have the Gospel of the Kingdom. The Gospel of the Kingdom is about a person. It's about daily encountering a person. It's about daily meeting that person. It's about daily seeing that person. It's about daily knowing that person. It's about daily understanding him. It's about a walk with him. So that Christianity is not a set of belief; Christianity is a relationship with the Lord Jesus. It's not a set of belief. It's a relationship with a person. That is the Gospel of the Kingdom. It's about a person who is alive. And that's why we say "the work of the Lord." Everything that is about the work, understand that it has a Lord. You don't just work without the Lord. It is the work of the Lord. The work has a Lord, and the Lord is alive. If you don't take dictates from him and instruction, and you are doing some work, you'll be doing your own work. I'll give you a good example. You remember Paul? He wanted to enter into Asia; the Holy Ghost restrained him, he said "don't go. It is not yet time." He wanted to enter again; he was restrained, "don't go." Then that night, he saw a vision in the night. A man calling him from Macedonia. Is that not true? And then he took the Gospel—he said "now, we know where God wants us to go, let's go." If not that he has a work with the Lord, and he entered into Asia and he was doing some work, he's already lost, doing nonsense. Understand this matter we are discussing. And I'm saying that what I want to emphasize as we close this evening, and we'll pick this matter from next week, because next week I want to—I will begin with defining death, these three things: what is death, what is life, then immortality and entering this thing by the Gospel. Entering this thing by a walk with Jesus. Join us in the center of what we are discussing, this Gospel of the Kingdom. But I want to say something today before we close: that the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and I will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent." Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has God not made foolish the wisdom of this world? Please listen, verse 21. It says, "For since in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe." Let me take a simpler translation. Since God, in His wisdom, saw to it that the world would never find Him through human wisdom—do you get that? Do you get that? In God's wisdom, God made it such that nobody will find God through human wisdom. I'm explaining the Gospel. One thing about this Gospel is that God has so arranged it that human wisdom will not be able to find God. God has so made it so. That is how the Gospel is designed. Such that if you think you see, then you will not see. But if you admit that I cannot see, Lord cause me to see, then you will see. The meek will He teach His ways, but the proud, those that are full, He will send away. If you think you are already full, if there is no hunger, if there is no thirst, then there is nothing you can be filled. If you think you know, then you can never know. These are the issues about this thing. It is built on a mystery. It is built on humility. It is built on meekness. It is built on submitting to God. It is built on agreeing with God that God Almighty, except You help me, I will die. Except You carry me, I cannot go anywhere. Without You, I am nothing. We must admit where we are. We must admit who we are for we to be what He wants us to become. We must submit. We must deliberately come to say our life is dependent on Him. We must understand that God Almighty, I know I cannot find You by myself. Oh Lord, please teach me Your ways. I want to come before the word of God. I want to come before Him pleading and saying, "Lord, that I may see." Can we talk to the Lord this evening? Lord Jesus, it's all about You. It's all about You. This Gospel of the Kingdom. I will pick it from this point next week. That it's actually a mystery. And you need to understand that if you must find Him, you must tell God that God, please open my eyes. I cannot find You by my intelligence. I cannot find You by—you cannot find Him. It is actually built on a mystery. The way God, in His wisdom, made this such that man will not find God by their wisdom. God has so made it so. That is how the Gospel is designed. So that if you think you see, then you will not see. But if you admit that I cannot see, Lord cause me to see, then you will see. Let's talk to the Lord this evening because He said "I am with you always." He is alive. He is alive. You don't need one thing to represent Him. He's everywhere. He is everywhere. Because He said "I am with you always." Do you see? He's here because He said "I am with you always even to the end of the world." So understand what we are talking about. It is all about a person who is alive. And that's why we say "the work of the Lord." Everything that is about the work, understand that it has a Lord. You don't just work without the Lord. It is the work of the Lord. The work has a Lord, and the Lord is alive. If you don't take dictates from Him and instruction, and you are doing some work, you'll be doing your own work. Let's talk to the Lord this evening. Precious Father, we thank You for this evening. We commit ourselves into Your hand, oh Lord, we pray. This Gospel of the Kingdom. Oh Lord, our God, You told the disciples, You said blessed are your eyes because they see and your ears because they hear. Oh Lord, we pray, God Almighty, may our eyes be blessed. May our ears be blessed. May we be able to see the Lord. May we be able to see You and understand You. May we be able to hear You say "My sheep hear my voice." May we be able to hear You and follow You in the name of Jesus Christ. Thank You, eternal Father. Blessed be Your holy name, our God. In Jesus' name, we pray. Let's share the grace together. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us now and forevermore. Amen. [Narrator] This message is coming to you from Family Tent Ministry, a Christian ministry involved in enriching the lives of singles and married through preaching and teaching of God's word, discipleship, family life enrichment, social and community development, and mission hit. Our regular activities are discipleship class every Monday, 5:00 p.m.; adolescents and singles club, every first Saturday of every month at 10:00 a.m.; marriage forum, second Saturday of every month at 10:00 a.m.; family life seminars, regular school outreaches, and every day counseling. For further counseling, you can reach us at our location, Life Camp by the first bridge, Ilere community, opposite Berry Joy filling station along Idere road, Akure, Ondo state, Nigeria. You can also reach us through our social media handles: familytent@yahoo.co.uk, familytentministry01@gmail.com, www.familytentministry.org. Our phone numbers are 08033861136, 07033613848. God bless you all.