The Ambassador Group

Luke-- Jesus, Our Savior and Friend

00. An Introduction to the Book of Luke

01. Luke: The Coming of Jesus

02. Luke: Baptism and the Temptations

03. Luke: Who Is Jesus Christ?

04. Luke: The Call to Discipleship

05. Luke: Christ as Lord of the Sabbath

06. Luke: Women in the Ministry of Jesus

07. Luke: Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and Prayer

08. Luke: The Mission of Jesus

09. Luke: Jesus, the Master Teacher

10. Luke: Following Jesus in Everyday Life

11. Luke: The Kingdom of God

12. Luke: Jesus in Jerusalem

13. Luke: Crucified and Risen

Edited for audio by The Ambassador Group.

They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God.

Luke 13, verse 29, New King James Version.

The kingdom of God is a major theme and a significant priority in the teachings of Jesus.

The phrase occurs nearly 50 times in Matthew, 16 times in Mark, about 40 times in Luke, and 3 times in John.

Wherever it appears, be it in the Lord's prayer or in the Sermon on the Mount, or in His other preaching and parables, the Kingdom of God is an expression of what God had done in history for the human race as he deals with the problem of sin and brings the great controversy with Satan to an ultimate and decisive end.

The kingdom of God is unlike any kingdom the world has ever known and that's because it's not a worldly kingdom.

The kingdom of God comes not with outward show.

It comes through the gentleness of the inspiration of His Word, through the inward working of His Spirit, the fellowship of the soul with Him who is its life.

The greatest manifestation of its power is seen in human nature brought to the perfection of the character of Christ.

White in her book entitled, The Ministry of Healing, on page 36.

In this exploration, we will focus on the theme, the kingdom of God, especially as it appears in the book of Luke.

♪♪ Characteristics of the Kingdom of God, Part 1.

The Gospels are replete with references to the Kingdom of God, all cumulatively testifying that a new order has been inaugurated in and through Jesus.

What does Luke chapter 11 verse 2 say about the kingdom of God?

When you pray, say, Our Father, who is in heaven, hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come, your will be done, held holy and revered on earth as it is in heaven.

To say that this kingdom is God's is not just saying the obvious, but is rather affirming that the kingdom of God is neither a philosophic notion nor an ethical edifice.

It is not a social gospel proclaiming bread and water for the hungry, or equality and justice for the politically oppressed.

It transcends all human goodness and moral action and finds its locus in the sovereign activity of God in the incarnate Son, who came preaching the good news of the kingdom.

Luke chapter 4 verses 42 through 44 reveal, And when daybreak came, he left Peter's house and went into an isolated desert place.

And the people looked for him, until they came up to him and tried to prevent him from leaving them.

But he said to them, I must preach the good news, the gospel of the kingdom of God, to the other cities and towns also, for I was sent for this purpose." And he continued to preach in the synagogues of Galilee.

And he went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the good news, gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every weakness and infirmity among the people.

So the report of him spread throughout all Syria.

And they brought him all who were sick, those afflicted with various diseases and torments, those under the power of demons and epileptics and paralyzed people, and he healed them.

And great crowds joined and accompanied him about, coming from Galilee and Decapolis, and the district of the 10 cities east of the city of Galilee, and Jerusalem, and Judea, and from the other, the east side of the Jordan.

Luke Chapter 1 verses 32 and 33 tells us who inaugurated the kingdom of God and what its final result will be.

1He will be great, imminent, and will be called the Son of the Most High.

2And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his forefather David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob throughout the ages.

And of his reign there will be no end." Did you hear the answers to the 2 questions?

Question 1, who inaugurated the kingdom of God?

Question 2, what will be the final end of this kingdom of God?

Answer, there will be no end to his kingdom.

The Son of the Most High will reign throughout the ages.

Once again this scripture Luke chapter 1 verses 32 and 33 is of utmost importance for 2 reasons.

First, the Messiah anticipated in the Old Testament is none other than Jesus, the Son of the Highest.

Second, of his kingdom there will be no end.

This means that through his incarnation, death and resurrection, Jesus vanquished Satan's challenge to God's sovereignty and established for eternity God's kingdom.

Revelation 11, verse 15, New King James Version, reveals that, "...the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever." In the clash between Christ and Satan, Satan claimed victory after the fall of Adam and Eve.

But the mission of Jesus proved the falsity of Satan's claims.

He defeated Satan at every turn, and with his death and resurrection, Christ has assured the entire cosmos that the kingdom of God has arrived.

Friend, are you a citizen of God's Kingdom?

Do you live in a way that reflects the reality of the Kingdom of God?

Characteristics of the Kingdom of God, Part 2.

What is citizenship in the Kingdom of God?

But Jesus called the parents to him, saying, Allow the little children to come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such as these belongs the kingdom of God.

Truly I say to you, whoever does not accept and receive and welcome the kingdom of God, like a little child does, shall not in any way enter it at all." And a certain ruler asked him, good teacher you who are essentially and perfectly morally good, What shall I do to inherit eternal life, to partake of the eternal salvation in the Messiah's kingdom?" Jesus said to him, "'Why do you call me essentially and perfectly morally good?

No 1 is essentially and perfectly morally good, except God only.

Do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not witness falsely, honor your father and your mother." And he replied, "'All these I have kept from my youth.' And when Jesus heard it, he said to him, "'One thing you still lack.

Sell everything that you have and Divide the money among the poor, and you will have rich treasure in heaven.

Become my disciple, join my party, and accompany me." But when he heard this, he became distressed and very sorrowful, for he was rich, exceedingly so.

Jesus observing him said, "'How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!

For it is easier for a camel to enter through a needle's eye than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." And those who heard it said, then who can be saved?

But he said, what is impossible with men is possible with God.

And Peter said, See, we have left our own things, home, family, and business, and have followed you.

And he said to them, I say to you truly, there is no 1 who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive in return many times more in this world and in the coming age eternal life.

Only aim at and strive for and seek his kingdom and all these things shall be supplied to you also.

Do not be seized with alarm and struck with fear, little flock, for it is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Sell what you possess, and give donations to the poor.

Provide yourselves with purses and handbags that do not grow old, and an unfailing and inexhaustible treasure in the heavens, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.

And he said to another, Become my disciple, side with my party, and accompany me.

But he replied, Lord, permit me first to go and bury, await the death of my father.

But Jesus said to him, Allow the dead to bury their own dead, but as for you, go and publish abroad throughout all regions the kingdom of God.

Another also said, I will follow you, Lord, and become your disciple and side with your party, but let me first say goodbye to those at my home.

Jesus said to him, No 1 who puts his hand to the plow and looks back to the things behind is fit for the kingdom of God.

Entry into the kingdom of God is not dependent on one's status or position or one's riches or the lack thereof.

Luke, along with other Gospel writers, points out that 1 must come to Jesus with an attitude of uncompromised surrender, absolute dependency, and childlike trust.

These are traits of those who have entered the kingdom of God.

They must be willing to give up everything, if need be, for whatever they would not want to give up would be something that, in a sense, not only competes with Jesus, but, in fact, wins.

Jesus and His claim on our life, on every aspect of our life, takes top priority.

This makes sense because, After all, it's only through Him that we exist to begin with.

Thus, of course, He should have our complete allegiance.

Let's listen again to Luke 18, verses 29 and 30.

What is Jesus saying and what is he promising?

To have to leave parents, spouse, even children for the kingdom of God?

Jesus is not saying that these actions are required of all believers, but that if 1 were called to leave these things for the sake of the kingdom of God, the kingdom of God would be worth it.

Think about Jesus' words about letting the dead bury the dead in Luke chapter 9 verse 59.

What important truth is he expressing here about not making excuses to keep from following him when the call comes, no matter how valid those excuses might seem?

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Luke-- Jesus, Our Savior and Friend

11. Luke: The Kingdom of God

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