Kingdom

 

The Kingdom of God is...

• not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit

  • not a matter of talk but of power

 The Kingdom of God is...

• A place of Rescue

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.

 The Kingdom of God is...

• A place where the King dies for our sins, in our place. 

For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.

God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

 The Kingdom of God is...

• A place of LOVE

knowledge puffs up while love builds up. 

whoever loves God is known by God. 

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

Love never fails.

Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy.

Do everything in love.

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.

The Kingdom of God is...

• A place of FREEdom

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh ; rather, serve one another humbly in love.

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. 

Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 

The Kingdom of God is...

• A place of Fruit

 I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.

So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.

In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace.

Live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.

The Kingdom of God is...

A PLACE like no other place on Earth, because it's not on Earth, it's in Heaven; a PLACE where all of the above exist and you feel them in your heart and in your friendships and in your family; a PLACE where the above break into your life and lives and your ekklesia; a PLACE which is spiritual and magnificent and expanding throughout the Earth, sometimes hidden, sometimes visible, but always present; a PLACE where we partner with God, accepting His gift and His gifts, and believing who we ARE in Christ -- a new creation! 

A PLACE where the King is actually a Shepherd; and we are His Sheep because we here His voice, and we follow....where ever He may lead.

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 

I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me 

They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.

For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’

The Kingdom of God is...