Preaching The Kingdom Of God

“For I am a man under authority…Truly I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.” Matthew 8:9,10

Dear Ones:

The mention of the “kingdom of God” normally does not stir us, perhaps because the terminology and the concepts are so foreign to us in this “modern” society.  And yet, when Christ began His ministry, He came preaching the kingdom.  He would instruct His disciples to “Seek FIRST the kingdom of God, and His righteousness.” (Matt. 6:33)  He would also instruct His disciples to go forth and preach the kingdom, healing the sick, and declaring:  “The kingdom of God is come near unto you.” (Luke 10:9)  What is the Lord’s teaching on the kingdom, and how does it apply to our lives?

Let’s begin with a stanza of a hymn written by Isaac Watts.  “Blessings abound where’er He reigns: The prisoner leaps to loose His chains, The weary find eternal rest, And all the sons of want are blessed.”  What is he speaking of here, with respect to the kingdom?  Two things:  First, He speaks of authority, the submission to the authority of the King, God, Christ.  Why? Because only in submitting to that authority will spiritual authority be entrusted, or given.  This is the great lesson of the centurion who had such GREAT faith.  There was NO doubt in his heart that if he submitted to the authority of Caesar, his authority would be given.  He understood that Jesus was under the absolute authority of His Father, and that, because the authority of heaven would be given, Jesus just needed to “say the word.”

The second thing we need to grasp with regard to the kingdom is this:  “Blessings ABOUND where’re He reigns.”  When Matthew speaks of the kingdom, he uses primarily the words, “…kingdom of heaven.”  When Luke speaks of the kingdom in his gospel, he employs the term, “kingdom of God.”  Why?  The endless, and extraordinary, blessings of heaven are those of God IN Christ.  Under the reign of God, there are the fathomless blessings of mercy, love, grace, goodness, wisdom, etc.  When Jesus walked on the earth preaching the kingdom, being under the authority of heaven, He lived to see His Father’s kingdom come and His will be done on this earth.  This was revealed, not only by the words in power that Jesus spoke to save the lost, but by the healing of the sick, the deliverance of those bound by Satan, and also in a singular, miraculous intervention of God, to save the disciples in a storm at sea.  Where Jesus reigns, blessings abound, God’s manifest blessings of His goodness and mercy.

Dear Father, reign over us this day.  Go through our hearts, and cleanse every part from every tinge of unbelief or faithlessness.  Give us to know the strengthening of Thy Spirit, so that we can truly believe Thee for all that You desire to give.  As Jesus was, give us grace to live a life submitted to the King, receiving all from Him, that we might have to give LIFE and blessing to others.  We thank Thee, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Love, Dad