The premise of this message is that if the church does not disciple people, the word will.
We want to create resilient disciples that can stand against the lies of the enemy, personally and publicly. Following Jesus faithfully and biblically is becoming something our culture looks down upon more and more.
We are witnessing the rise of religion of self. When you stop believing in God, as a nation secularizes, self becomes the greatest thing that there is. In this religion, the way to happiness is to look inside you. They encourage you to find your feelings and desires, express them and fulfill them without external restraints.
If you believe the best way to be happy is to express your desires without restraint, any outside force that pushes back on that will be labeled repressive or oppressive.
So, how do I live in a kingdom of compromise and yet remain a faithful citizen of God’s Kingdom?
Jesus teaches that His kingdom is not of this world but in this world.
Three Questions that lead to understanding the Kingdom
- What is the kingdom?
The kingdom of God is His rule over everything. It is realized personally when you turn from sin and trust Jesus as Savior.
Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.”
Jesus teaches that the number one thing you are to give your life to is the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is evident in your life when you possess things like righteousness, mercy, and right standing before God.
The kingdom of God is now, but not yet. Colossians 1 teaches that when you come to faith in Christ, you have been transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His beloved Son.
- How does the kingdom affect me?
You were transferred, redeemed, forgiven, adopted, and reconciled. Your new identity as a citizen of this kingdom changes the way you live. This process that happens over time is called sanctification.
There is another kingdom, ruled by Satan and his demons. So much of what is happening in our world, of the things that are visible, are affected by the invisible.
What we see happening in our culture with the destruction of the family, the destroying of the bodies of our youth in the name of freedom and gender care, it is more than psychological, it is spiritual.
- What are the right ways to live in the kingdom?
John 8:44 says, “You are of your father the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies.”
Satan is our enemy, and he desires to kill, steal, and destroy. That is why we need to be plugged into a godly community, corporate worship, and Sunday school. The enemy will whisper lies and discouragement in your ear.
Declare and demonstrate the gospel for the glory of Christ and the flourishing of your soul. Will you live for the King?
