Victorious Living

Sermons by Eli Hofer
03/14/01
08/22/01
08/11/02

The Writings of Ulrich Stadler
Volume 1
Volume 2
Volume 3
Volume 4

The Church and the Narrow Path

Things Hutterite

To Vote or not to Vote

Two Ways

Way of the Lord

Which Kingdom?

Victorious Living

Don Murphy
talk given at the
CDO Assembly Sunday School
03/12/2006

* Introduction

Some years ago the Lord spoke to me that I should become a ‘full time’ Christian. I was quite amazed because I thought that I was. After all, I was an usher at our church, a home fellowship leader and also led a weekly lunch time Bible study at work. But the Lord wanted more from me. So that is what we are going to discuss today: the Lord wants more of us.

* The Theme of Jesus’ Preaching

If someone were to ask you what was the theme of Jesus’ preaching, what would be your answer? Would you say ‘the kingdom of God’?

Jesus began His ministry by telling people to repent for the kingdom of God was at hand. (Mt 4:17) Wherever Jesus went, He preached about the kingdom of God. There are 96 references to the kingdom of God in the four Gospels. And most of His parables are about the kingdom of God.

In fact, Jesus said that the reason that He was sent to earth was to preach about the kingdom: "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose." (Luke 4:43) Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the good news of the kingdom. (Mt 9:35) Jesus sent the apostles out to proclaim the kingdom of God. (Luke 9:2) The last verse in the Book of Acts says that the apostle Paul continued to proclaim the kingdom of God.

* The Two Gospels

The gospel about Jesus: Who He is, what He did, what He is doing and what He will do. Every where Jesus went, the power and love of God was manifested in healing the sick, feeding the hungry… This is the most common gospel preached today.

The gospel of Jesus: The gospel that Jesus preached was about the kingdom of God and how to enter it. This gospel is rarely preached.

* The Two Kingdoms

The kingdom of the world: The devil led Jesus up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time and said to Him, "I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, for me to give to anyone I choose. Do homage to me and it shall all be Yours." (Luke 4:5-7) The devil has power also. We need to be alert.

The apostle Paul teaches about the two kingdoms in I Cor 5:9-13. "I wrote to you not to associate with any one who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of immorality or greed, or is an idolater, a slander, a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. Drive out the wicked person from among you." (1 Cor 5:9-13)

We are not judge those in the kingdom of the world, those outside of the Church. We are to judge only those in the Church, which is the kingdom of God.

The kingdom of the world, into which we are all born, has its own laws, we call it our carnal nature, which forces us to do things contrary to God's laws. In contrast, the laws of the kingdom of God are not forced on us, they must be voluntarily obeyed.

Paul addresses this issue in Romans 7:21-25. "I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my carnal nature the law of sin."

That is why Jesus said that we are to crucify our old nature.

The apostle John, in 1 John 2:15-17, teaches us about the dangers of the kingdom of the world. "Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever."

Jesus, when He prayed to His Father, mentions the kingdom of the world: "I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth." (John 17:14-17)

The kingdom of God: The kingdom of God is both a future kingdom and a present kingdom. Paul writes: "He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son." (Col 1:13) "The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." (Rom 14:17)

When we understand the two kingdoms concept (the kingdom of the world and the kingdom of God), then we can better understand why the Lord Jesus and His apostles preached the good news about the kingdom of God.

* Kingdom Laws

Every kingdom and government has laws that its citizens are obliged to obey, including the kingdom of God. There are two main laws in God’s kingdom: Love God above all things and love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus and His apostles have given us many instructions on how God expects us to do that. These instructions are the commandments of Jesus and of His apostles. They resulted in a lifestyle, a religion, that the early church called The Way of The Lord. (Acts 18:25, also Acts 9:2, 18:26, 19:9, 19:23, 22:4, 24:14, 24:22)

Jesus said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptism them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teach them to obey all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age." (Mt 28:18-20)

The commands of Jesus and His apostles are life changing laws that lead to victorious living. They are also quite challenging to our carnal nature. Jesus describes this lifestyle that He advocates as a hard, narrow path that few will succeed in following to heaven. "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it." (Mt 7:13-14) "Strive to enter by the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able." (Luke 13:24)

Jesus said, "Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?" (Luke 6:46)

In the Gospel of Matthew, the Lord said: "Not every one who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you who transgress My laws.’" (Mt 7:21-23)

"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." (John 14:15)

"He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him." (John 14:21)

"If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me." (John 14:23-24)

"If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love." (John 15:10)

"You are My friends if you do what I command you." (John 15:14)

"He who does not obey the Son shall not see life, the wrath of God rests upon him." (John 3:36)

"By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, "I have come to know Him" and does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected." (1 John 2:3-5)

"By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments." (1 John 5:2-3)

"Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds." (2 John 1:9-11)

* Commandments of Jesus

Here are several commands of Jesus recorded in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew chapter 5, verses 33-48. The first one is easy to obey, the others may be quite a challenge to people.

1. Do not swear an oath.

"You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to the Lord.’ But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of the Evil One." (Mt 5:33-37)

James writes: "Above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment." (James 5:12)

It is easy to obey this command about oaths, here in American we can affirm instead of swear. However, many, if not most, Christians are not willing to obey this command. If a person is willing to commit to obeying this command then he has opened the door to living in obedience to all of the commands of Christ, which may be too much for many.

2. Do not resist an evil person.

"You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you." (Mt 5:38-42) In obedience to this command, the early church forbid their members to take any government job that would involve the use of force, such as a police officer or even governor. Soldiers who became Christians were told not to use force. So this command can be quite a challenge. Most find some excuse to disobey it.

3. Love your enemies.

"You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?" (Mt 5:43-47)

4: You are to be perfect [complete].

"Therefore you are to be perfect [complete], as your heavenly Father is perfect [complete]." (Mt 5:48) This is a command of Jesus!

The apostle John tells us: "We know that no child of God is a sinner; it is the Son of God who keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot touch him." (1 John 5:18)

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