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Alright the title of the sermon tonight is Seek the Kingdom First. Seek the Kingdom First. In the chapter we've read there's a lot to cover there and you might notice that one of the key themes in that chapter was the kingdom of God. Right? Even you know sowing the seed was referred to as the seed of the kingdom if you notice that. But Matthew 6 33 says but seek ye first. So this is our instruction by Jesus Christ. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you. So what's our instruction? Seek ye first the kingdom of God. Right? And a lot of people sometimes forget and His righteousness. Right? It's good to go and sow the seed of the kingdom. It's good to be doing the works of the kingdom but at the same time you shouldn't be living your evil you know fleshly life. You know it's His kingdom and His righteousness. Those two things go together. That's the main goal that we have in our lives. Right? Jesus says if you love me keep my commandments. All those things come together. We know we ought to love the Lord with all our heart mind soul and strength and you know all these things come together. That's the key thing for us to seek His kingdom and His righteousness. Now one of the interesting things is this. For the longest part of my Christian life I did not understand the kingdom of God. Okay? For the longest part of my Christian life and I'd read something like this seek ye first the kingdom of God and I'm thinking about yeah I want to seek it but I don't even know it. Like what is the kingdom of God? Because there is so much teaching out there. So much confusion. So much different ideas of what the kingdom of God is and you know you bring dispensationalism into this. They've got their own ideas of what the kingdom is and I just want to cover very quickly. I know I covered this very briefly in one of my previous sermons. I thought this would be a good sermon to cover after we've preached on you know the millennium and the new heavens and the new earth and end times because this does tie in with the end times as well. It's not the main thing about that I want to cover today but I just want to give you guys an understanding of the kingdom. Nothing that I'm preaching tonight is brand new. Everything that I'm preaching tonight I've heard from somewhere but in bits and pieces. A bit here, a bit there, a bit there. I've never really heard it organized until I did my own research and my own study. You know wiped the slate clean and just started all over again. Okay I'm not teaching you any new doctrine. I'm just teaching you an organized doctrine if that makes sense. Okay it's I've organized it in a way that makes a lot more sense and I think it's very simple to see this once you know I've taught you this. Now first thing I want to understand is that there are different people you know we talked about the millennial kingdom of Christ. We said we're pre-millennial. We believe Christ is coming back before his Millennium Kingdom and that's a physical literal kingdom upon this earth. Literally a thousand years is going to rule and reign from this earth but there are different positions on what people consider the millennium. Okay that thousand year period. Now as a pre-millennial there are two positions in the pre-millennial movement. Number one it's the historic pre-millennialism. Okay historic pre-millennialism. This is what we believe basically. We believe that the millennial kingdom is a future event. It hasn't started yet. We believe that Christ is coming back to establish that kingdom in the future and we believe that Christians will be raptured after the tribulation. Okay now there's another group of pre-millennialists. Okay very similar to us. They're called the it's called the dispensational pre-millennialism. Okay dispensational pre-millennialism. Same thing they believe there's a literal thousand year kingdom to come. They believe Christ is going to come back before that millennial kingdom upon this earth but they believe they're going to be raptured before the tribulation. Okay that's the key difference. Now there's two other positions. There's post millennialism. Post millennialism. A lot of the Protestants are post millennial. The idea is basically that they believe that Christ will come after the millennial kingdom and you know how's that? You know isn't that his kingdom? Well they believe the millennial kingdom is now. They believe the period that we live in right now is the kingdom of God, is the millennial kingdom of God. Okay now they believe that well actually I don't know if they're anyway they believe the people that believe this believe that Christians in this world is going to Christianize the whole world. It's going to be this Christian utopia. Every nation is going to worship the Lord. Every nation is going to lift up his name and once that's done, once that mission is accomplished you know what we would call the millennium because everyone's you know worshiping like everyone's at least under the authority of Christ. Once that's accomplished they believe Christ has come in after that to create the new heavens and the new earth. Okay now obviously we take it literally that it's a thousand years and for them they couldn't say it's a literal thousand years. Maybe a thousand years ago they thought it's a literal thousand years but after you know Christ you know because it's two thousand years since Christ they have to recognize okay it's not a thousand years. It's a spiritual application. You know the millennial thing is a spiritual teaching. It's not a literal teaching and that's why I reinforced in my sermon on Sunday how many times it says a thousand years right. A thousand years this, a thousand years that, a thousand years that. Now it's very easy to debunk this teaching and it's starting to lose its popularity but one of the verses is 2nd Timothy chapter 3. You don't need to turn there. I'll just read it to you. 2nd Timothy 3 chapter 3 verse 1. This know also that in the last days perilous times shall come for men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heedy, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof from such turn away. These people is the description of the last times. So I don't know how you get this idea that we're going to create this Christian utopia. It's going to be wonderful when we get when we're taught that no in the last days it's going to be wicked. In the last day it's going to be horrible. In the last days people are proud, boastful of themselves, a form of godliness. They they have religion. They have their God in their mind but they fall way short of that and we are told to turn away from people like that. Okay so it's very easy to debunk and I think that's why it's losing its popularity. Then the fourth position on the millennial kingdom is amillennialism. You know it's kind of like when you put a like atheist you know they don't believe in God. A theist believes in God and an atheist doesn't believe in God. Well millennial people believe in a literal millennium. They're amillennial. They don't believe in a literal millennial kingdom right. It's all spiritual to them. It's not that they completely disregard it. They obviously see in the Bible and they have to have an answer for it. It's just that they believe it's this spiritual kingdom. When Christ was resurrected went back to heaven. He's ruling and reigning from heaven and again we're in the millennium but it's a spiritual millennium. They don't believe we're going to necessarily have this Christian utopia upon this earth. It's all spiritual okay and you can see why you know you can see why they sort of um they believe this because like why they believe it's all spiritual and you know not literal because you know it's been past a thousand years since Christ so they can't take it literally anymore but one of the things they teach is that Satan is bound right now because if you know your Bibles if you remember Sunday Satan is cast into the bottomless pit before the thousand years commence and so he can't deceive any nations right so they believe because they believe this is the millennium now they believe Satan's already cast into the bottomless pit and is not deceiving the nations. That's crazy. I mean again that's so easy to debunk you know just just Ephesians 6 11 put on the whole armor of God so Ephesians written to the Ephesian Church written after Christ was resurrected and went to heaven put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the walls of the of the devil. Why would you need to put the armor on if the devil was bound and not deceiving the nations right put it on so we can stand against the walls of the devil for we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities against powers against the rulers of the darkness of this world against spiritual weakness in high places and again I could show you so many verses obviously of our battle with the devil with Satan on this earth. Satan roaring around as a as a how's it going to say huh walking around as a roaring lion seeking whom whom he may devour so he's obviously roaming the earth seeking to who he may devour so you know it's very easy to debunk that but the reason why our Millennials believe this I just read to you John 18 36 Jesus answered my kingdom this is what Jesus said you guys might remember this my kingdom is not of this world if my kingdom were of this world then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Jews but now is my kingdom not from hence you know so my kingdom is not from here not from hence so I say see it's not a literal physical Kingdom on this earth Jesus says kingdoms not from here right that's how they that's the verse they use to sort of teach this but they've misrepresented what Jesus is saying there okay I'll just read it again because it's gonna tie into the rest of it my kingdom is not of this world that's what Jesus saying the source of his kingdom where his kingdom comes from is not from the earth obviously as a heavenly kingdom if the kingdom if my kingdom were of this world then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Jews but now is my kingdom not from hence not from here you know that whole Christian utopia idea you know we're going to bring the kingdom of Christ ourselves and then Christ will come no it's not from here it's not going to come from here Christ Kingdom comes with him from heaven it's a heavenly kingdom that's why sometimes it's referenced as the kingdom of heaven because the source of it is not a kingdom of earth it's the kingdom of heaven but then it is established upon this physical earth now the dispensationalists dispensational pre-millennialist okay they agree with us that it's a future millennial Kingdom so we're on the same page there but what they then teach and again look I struggle this because I was trying to understand the kingdom of God I'd see all these verses seemingly contradictive and I couldn't get my head around it okay and my problem was I was trying to find the answers from people from books from sermons I should just go into the Bible just Lord help me understand this right and eventually I have to do that and the Lord did help me understand this but they teach they teach us a difference between the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God okay they teach that the kingdom of heaven is just for the Jews just for the Jews just for Israel and the kingdom of heaven that's for the for the New Testament Church that's what they teach now turn to um Matthew chapter 4 you guys turn to Matthew chapter 4 verse 17 now when I first came across his teachings it was in my in my first independent fundamental Baptist Church okay and I was doing a course on they call it Bible hominidics which is Bible interpretation understanding the Bible and I was excited when they told me oh the kingdom of heavens for the Jews the kingdom of God is for the church I was excited I was like awesome now I get it I've been trying to find this answer you know I remember I think going to someone saying oh isn't it so good to know the truth and you know I went to my Bible I went to my Bible trying to find this you know I was thinking that every time I read the kingdom of heaven I'm gonna find that it's about Israel and I'm thinking that every time I read about the kingdom of God I'm gonna find it's about the New Testament Church only to be disappointed right you hear things it sounds wonderful you know you can parrot it as much as you want but then you take it to the Bible and you fall short right it just collapses right and I remember just being disgruntled being frustrated it's kind of like the pre-trib rapture you know you hear wonderful things you go back to the Bible all right it's not there same thing with the king this kingdom of God you know them stuff all right so let me just show you that there is no difference there is no difference with the kingdom of heaven the kingdom of God and it's so easy to prove you guys are in Matthew chapter 4 read let's read verse 17 Matthew 4 17 from that time Jesus began to preach and to say repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand now what does it mean to be at hand it means it's close by right it's it's about to happen it's about to come you know it's within reach all right the kingdom of heaven is at hand now let me just let's just pause here for a moment Jesus says it's about to come and then what dispensationalism teaches is that well it was postponed because the nation of Israel rejected Christ so because they rejected Christ as their king Jesus had to postpone the kingdom of heaven but Jesus is saying the kingdom of heaven is at hand it's around the corner get ready for it was he lying you know was he at the mercy of unbelieving Israel to decide when he's going to bring in his kingdom now I'll read to you mark 1 14 so you guys stay there so you can sort of see along now after that John was put in prison Jesus came into Galilee preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God and saying the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand repent ye and believe the gospel so hold on is which ones coming at hand is it the kingdom of heaven at hand or is it the kingdom of God at hand are these two different kingdoms both at hand it's the same Kingdom it's the same passage this is the parallel passage passage of parallel teaching on the kingdom look at Matthew 5 3 Matthew 5 verse 3 Matthew 5 verse 3 the Sermon on the Mount Matthew 5 verse 3 it reads blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven right you might be poor upon this earth hey but you can be greatly blessed and great encouraged if you're saved to have the kingdom being someone a child of the kingdom of God let me read to you Luke 6 20 but he lifted up his eyes on his disciples and said blessed be ye poor for yours is the kingdom of God right same thing same teaching parallel passage Sermon on the Mount it's just recorded differently you know maybe preached it multiple times sometimes he said heaven sometimes that God what have you you know it doesn't it's the same teaching right there's no difference you guys are in Matthew turn to Matthew 13 Matthew 13 verse 10 Matthew 13 verse 10 and 11 so we were actually this was where we're reading from in the chapter Matthew 13 verse 10 and the disciples came and said unto him why speakest thou unto them in parables he answered and said unto them because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven but to them it is not given I'll read the parallel passage in Mark chapter 4 verse 10 but when he was alone they were about him with the 12 are they that were about him with the 12 asked of him the parable and he said unto them unto you is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God but unto them that are without all these things are done in parables okay it's the same thing right same thing and I'll even read to you from Luke because Luke captures this event as well Luke 8 9 and his disciples asked him saying what might this parable be this parable be and he said unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God but to others in parables that seen they might not see and hearing they might not understand okay now turn to Matthew 19 Matthew 19 Matthew 19 verse 23 Matthew 19 verse 23 and this is the best one like if you're trying to convince someone that these two things are exactly the same thing the kingdom of God and the kingdom has the same thing turn to Matthew 19 23 and just showing this and this is the story of the young rich ruler coming to Christ he wouldn't sell his riches remember and then we pick up the story in verse 23 then said Jesus unto his disciples verily I say unto you that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven so is it hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven yes hardly it's not impossible it's just very hard okay and we see that we got so winning the more they have the more possessions they have the nights of their house the more material they have the greater chance that they're gonna you know reject the gospel but then look at verse 24 and again and again what does that mean once more I'm saying to you you saying this to you again is he saying something else is he saying something different no he says and again the same thing that I just said to you and again I say unto you it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle then for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God so in the same passage it's hard for both you know the kingdom the rich man to go into the kingdom of God the kingdom of heaven why because he's saying the same thing again you know just saying it slightly differently it's kind of like if you instruct your kids you might say you know I don't know I might say to my kids you know you know can you make me a coffee and then I might bring him back and say oh you know make sure you don't make me a tea or you know you know you might rephrase something twice to make sure your child understands and so you know dude's making it very clear to them that a rich man can't enter into the kingdom of God right and he says it both ways so we can see that these things are parallel they're exactly the same thing verse 25 when his disciples heard it they were exceedingly amazed saying who then can be saved but Jesus beheld them and said unto them with men this is impossible but with God all things are possible I just want you to notice there because he's talking about the kingdom of God in the kingdom of heaven and the disciples asked who then can be saved so we see the correlation with salvation and the kingdom of God okay these things go hand in hand salvation and the kingdom of God now let me just show you some inconsistencies right and what I mean by inconsistencies I'm just saying these are passages that people struggle with and come up with all these crazy teaching okay you know you're still in Matthew so turn to Matthew chapter 3 verse 1 Matthew chapter 3 verse 1 Matthew chapter 3 verse 1 the Bible reads in those days came John the Baptist preaching that in the wilderness of Judea and saying repent ye for the kingdom of heaven is at hand okay so we see John the Baptist saying the kingdom of heaven is at hand he's saying it's about to come and then Jesus in Matthew 4 17 actually I think we read this already from that time Jesus began to preach and to say repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand okay so it's around the corner it's coming all right then our Matthew chapter 10 verse 5 Matthew 10 verse 5 I'm getting you to turn here just because I know you're in Matthew so it's just easy Matthew chapter 10 verse 5 these 12 Jesus sent forth so the disciples and commanded them saying go not into the way of the Gentiles and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel and as you go preach saying the kingdom of heaven is at hand so John the Baptist Jesus and the disciples all preaching the kingdom of heaven is at hand were they all mistaken no they were teaching the truth this is a reality a king of God at this point in time was about to come all right why because the king was there the king of kings was there on the earth now not only was it coming or at hand but if you read your Bible it did come okay so turn to Matthew chapter 12 Matthew chapter 12 verse 28 Matthew chapter 12 verse 28 Matthew 12 28 Jesus speaking but if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God so did Jesus cast out devils by the Spirit of God yes all right but if I did that then the kingdom of God is come unto you so was Jesus casting out devils by the Spirit of God yes if that's true then the kingdom of God is come unto you it's here Jesus saying it's right here the kingdom of God is here I'm casting out the devils by the Spirit of God by the power of God now I'm just gonna read some other passages to you here Luke 17 verse 20 says and when he was demanded of the Pharisees when the kingdom of God should come so the Pharisees saying when's it coming where's the king of God come in he answered them and said the kingdom of God cometh not with observation so it's not something you can see all right neither shall they say lo here or lo there for behold the kingdom of God is within you wow that's interesting it's within you so the kingdom of God is within you has it come yes right because every safe person that receives the seed that's saved the seed of the kingdom this kingdom of God is in them but you see you see how it doesn't come with observation something you can't see now can you understand how people struggle with these things because there are those that obviously like us that believe that the millennial kingdom of Christ is physical is literal something we can observe and touch and see and rain and rule you know rule and reign of Christ with but here it's saying it's not something you can see so is the Bible contradictory you can see the challenges people have and then they come up with crazy things look all these things are true the kingdom of God is something that what this is true okay I'm not going to try to explain this away it's true the kingdom of God is something that cannot be seen observed and it is within you but also we know it's coming right in Christ all these things are true we need to understand how do we understand all these things you know in trip that's why I want to organize in a way to help you understand that sorry can you put his hand oh and I'll just read to you John 3 5 & 6 you guys know this Jesus answered verily verily I say unto thee except a man be born of water and of the Spirit so he's saved he cannot enter into the kingdom of God so how do we enter the kingdom of God salvation being born of the Spirit right that which is born of this the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit so the way we enter into the kingdom of God today the kingdom of God that was at hand when Christ preached the kingdom of God which had come when Christ was doing his ministry and casting out devils and the one that is not observed and cannot be seen is now is when you're saved the kingdom of God is in you okay the kingdom is now that's a truth the kingdom does exist now and that's why you have these a millennialists and these post-millennialists saying the kingdom is now and and they say it's the millennial kingdom that's now but you can see why because they read these passages and they can't understand it they can't comprehend what's going on and I understand why I was struggling to understand this when I'd read all these passages so the kingdom of God is now but also the kingdom of God is still future the kingdom of God is still future Luke 21 verse 25 you can turn there if you want if you're fast enough Luke 21 verse 25 Luke 21 verse 25 I would start reading actually let's read from 27 Luke 21 verse 27 Jesus says and then shall they see the Son of Man come in a cloud with great power sorry with power and great glory so when does Christ come in a cloud at the rapture right that's still future hasn't happened yet and when these things begin to come to pass then look up and lift up your heads for your redemption draw of night so that's our physical salvation our physical redemption in the new bodies and he spoke to them a parable saying the fig tree and all the trees when they show shoot forth you see and know of your own cells that summer is now night hand so likewise when you see these things come to pass all the events of the tribulation all that kind of stuff in the context know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand well hold on Jesus didn't you say you'd already come but now he's saying it's night hand right when you see Christ come in the cloud now this is truth as well we can't explain this away it's true the kingdom of God is still coming but we also know the kingdom of God is now right in you okay it's still but it's still coming these things are true you know I'm not trying to confuse you I'm just saying to you all these things are true okay turn to Luke 19 if you if you're ready in Luke Luke 19 verse 11 Luke 19 verse 11 now remember that's saying the kingdom of God is at hand like it's it's it's immediate it's gonna happen it's imminent that kind of thing Luke 19 verse 11 says and they heard these things sorry and as they heard these things he added and spake a parable because he was night to Jerusalem and because they thought that the kingdom of God should appear should immediately appear so Christ was going to Jerusalem they thought in their mind that the kingdom of God's going to come there he's coming to Jerusalem he's going to rule and reign he's going to be the king you know of Israel so on and so forth but they see how they thought that it should immediately appear right but then look at this in verse 12 he said therefore a certain this is the parable a certain noble man went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return and he called his ten servants and delivered them ten pounds and said unto them occupy till I come now this part I'm not going to keep going on it but this parable is saying Jesus is the noble man right he's saying he needs to go to a far country to receive unto himself a kingdom remember that the kingdom is not from here not from hence now kingdoms from heaven so when he goes away to head back to the father where he's now when he comes back he comes with that kingdom okay he comes ruling and reigning and establishes that millennial kingdom on this earth but you see how he says occupy till I come so just wait just wait and then I'm gonna come and bring that kingdom that I'm gonna get from that far country so it's not something that's coming immediately as he was going into Jerusalem all these things are true okay I'm not going to be so smart and explain that away like many people do okay and then and obviously we know about the millennial kingdom we thought about that on Sunday you know Satan being bound for a thousand years and we know that you know that's still to come that's a future event to come Christ hasn't been ruling and reigning here physically for a thousand years and then there's also that the kingdom of God now this is the thing about Christ Kingdom when he comes it's a thousand years long right it's a future kingdom but it's not eternal it comes to an end at the end of the thousand years God creates new heavens and new earth it's not an eternal kingdom okay it's a thousand year long period but then there's an eternal kingdom okay there's eternity and this is the truth this is the truth as well I'll just read it to you first Corinthians 15 verse 23 to 24 it says but every man in his own order talking about the rapture Christ the firstfruits so Christ was resurrected first afterward they that are Christ at his coming so that's our rapture when we receive our new bodies at his coming then is then cometh the end pay attention now then cometh the end when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God even the father when he have when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power so what he's saying is acting when he comes and he has his millennial kingdom and he everything's under his feet right then he hands that kingdom over or delivers that kingdom over to God even the father okay so we have now the new heavens and new earth we read about that in Revelation and that is forever that kingdom is forever okay so we have three truths the kingdom is here now the kingdom is still future a thousand years but then there's a kingdom that's eternal all three truths and it's all the kingdom of God okay all the kingdom of God now how do we understand this you know because you can see why people struggle right well go back to you in Matthew maybe some of you are Matthew 13 Matthew 13 the chapter we were that we read remember it was the great theme about Matthew 13 was the kingdom of God and it was until it wasn't until I understood because remember how he talks about all these parables and then he asked his disciples do you understand and they say yea Lord so the key to understanding the kingdom is in this chapter okay now Matthew 13 verse 31 and I think many times we read these parables and we just let it go over our heads but pay attention Matthew 13 verse 31 another parable put here forth unto them saying the kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field which indeed is the least of all seeds but when it is grown it is the greatest among herbs and become if a tree so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof I want you to notice a few things how does the kingdom of God begin this mustard seed right that's what the one of the smallest seeds that there are so if I took that mustard seed before you guys came to the service and I just threw it onto the ground would you see it you wouldn't see it you wouldn't even know it's there right but is it there it's there right it's there you just wouldn't know but then that mustard seed becomes this tree if I planted a tree when you guys came in would you see the tree it'd be pretty obvious right right but then that tree what happens these birds come and lodge in the in the branches right so even if I use that analogy even before you come into the building you're gonna hear the birds flying singing it's gonna be even more obvious than walking and seeing the tree they see how it develops starts as a mustard seed becomes a tree and then you have all these birds lodging in its branches my point is there's a three part process a free you know how do I say this development of the kingdom of God there's the kingdom of God now there's the kingdom of God millennial future and there's a kingdom of God eternal three part process in his kingdom and then it's not only that but look at um sorry as I read from Matthew 13 verse 33 Matthew 13 verse 33 another parable spake he unto them the kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven which what's leaven it's like yeast right you're baking bread you take yeast to to have that bread develop so the kingdom of God is like unto leaven which a woman took and hid so she hides it in that meal she hides it in the flour hid in three measures of meal till the whole was leavened now is that a coincidence that it's three measures of leaven to leaven till the whole was leavened so this bread needs three measures okay of this leaven in this meal for the whole to be for the whole to grow you see that there's three parts to this so we see that development take place the threefold kingdom of God is described here in these parables and I can show you if we go through all those parables I shake and show you three parts to it you know a lot of those but that's not it's not only in the New Testament it's also found in the Old Testament turn to Daniel chapter 2 Daniel chapter 2 verse 34 Daniel chapter 2 verse 34 you guys might know the story of King Nebuchadnezzar he had this dream of this statue head of gold I'm not going to go through it all but each part of that statue represents that a future kingdom to come with the head of gold represents in his kingdom and if you guys might remember his dream that that statue was destroyed right now when we get to that part in the passage verse 34 Daniel chapter 2 verse 34 notice this My point is, it's talking about the the kingdoms of this earth you know ruling and reigning there's a stone that gets cut away that's the first part it hits the feet of this statue which is the next bit which breaks it to pieces and then it grows into this great mountain that covers that fills the whole earth even in the Old Testament we see this three step process of the king and by the way that stone that mountain represents the kingdom of God okay and so I just want to show you that even in the Old Testament we see this three part process in the kingdom of God now let me just show you some other interesting things so the kingdom of God is now like a mustard seed can't be seen you enter into the kingdom through salvation then the kingdom of God comes like this tree right and by the way this I don't know if you guys know this but a mustard seed cannot become a tree it's a miracle right Christ is not teaching sciency but he's explaining that this mustard seed like they become these large normally these like these big weeds kind of thing I can't even think of it right now but then it becomes this tree because it stands out from that mustard seed right and that's Christ King it's going to come it's going to come as this tree it's going to be obvious it's going to be visible and then once that tree develops then you have the the birds come to you know nest and and and you know and that that represents the kingdom eternal right the new heavens and new earth new life as it were now some other interesting things about this three-part process of Christ of Christ Kingdom if you go back to Matthew chapter 12 Matthew chapter 12 verse 22 because not only does God have a three-part process in his kingdom but everything seems to happen in threes during this during the kingdom of God Matthew 12 verse 22 Matthew 12 verse 22 then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil blind and dumb and he healed them in so much that the blind and dumb both spake and saw and all the people were amazed and said is this not the son of David and when the Pharisees heard it they said this fellow doth not cast out devils but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils so the Pharisees are saying this Jesus is a devil right he's using the power of the devil to cast out devils and Jesus knew their thoughts and said unto them every kingdom so he's talking about the kingdom of Satan here every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand and if Satan casts out Satan he is divided against himself how shall then his kingdom stand so we talk about the kingdom of God we know it's coming it's here it's growing but the Satan has his own kingdom you see that right because Christ is casting out this devil he refers to it as the Satan's Kingdom how can his kingdom how can Satan's Kingdom stand if Satan is casting out Satan you know he wouldn't stand and if I buy Beelzebub cast out devils by whom do your children cast them out therefore they shall be your judges but if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God then the kingdom of God is come unto you that's the verse we read before right so the kingdom of God is come unto you so I want you to notice this the kingdom of God has come now what was Christ doing casting out Satan's you know casting out Satan out of people casting out devils what was he doing he was basically how can I say taking over Satan's Kingdom to an extent right he was demolishing Satan's Kingdom because it wasn't Satan's Kingdom destroying Satan's Kingdom it was the power of God destroying the kingdom of Satan okay so we see that first part when he comes the kingdom now he's casting out devils upsetting the kingdom of Satan then I won't go to the verses you know this when Christ comes and establishes the Millennial Kingdom what happens to Satan he's cast into the bottom of spit it's like part two of his kingdom being destroyed right part two he cast into blown spit cannot deceive the nations for a thousand years then when the thousand years are over before the new heavens and the earth the third part of Christ of God's Kingdom guess what happened Satan's loose out of that Kingdom he's able to deceive some nations they go against Christ now he's cast into the lake of fire Christ destroys him with fire from heaven and is cast into like a fire never more to ever deceive the nations that's part three that's the end of the kingdom of Satan so as Christ Kingdom grows we see Satan's Kingdom being demolished and become to the point where it's nothing it's a three-part process to Satan's Kingdom being destroyed as well also what's interesting about this the kingdom of God being in three parts is obviously we know of the Trinity you know God in three persons and what do we have as far as the kingdom now to enter into Christ Kingdom we're born of the Spirit we have the Holy Ghost in dwelling us right we haven't got Christ he physically upon this earth we do have the Spirit of God who he promised to send who the Father is going to send indwelling the believer you know we're empowered by the Holy Ghost we go and preach you know the gospel through the power of the Holy Ghost we have the Holy Ghost here with us but then what happens when the millennium comes Christ comes physically the second time right he comes so we have the Holy Ghost and we have Jesus Christ on the earth but we still haven't yet seen the Father right when do we see the Father when Christ when God creates the new heaven and new earth that's when we see the Father I'll just read it out to you in Revelation 22 verse 3 and there shall be no more curse talking about the new heavens and new earth but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it and his servants shall serve him and they shall see his face and his name shall be on their foreheads now how do I know that's the face of the Father is because the name of the foreheads on the foreheads is the name of the Father referenced in Revelation 7 I think I think I have to go back and have a look at that I didn't take it down but we're going to see the Father's face because no man have seen the Father right what did Jesus say Jesus said in a what's my reference in John 1 18 Jesus said no man have seen God at any time the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father he have declared him so no one has seen the Father but we have the Holy Ghost with us now in the millennium we're gonna rule and reign with Christ he'll be present with us you know at the rapture and so shall we ever be with the Lord will be with Christ we'll have the Holy Spirit and then in the millennium we're gonna see the face of the Father we're going to see God in all his glory God in his fullness okay a full Godhead and we're going to be able to receive that because we're in our resurrected bodies without sin that's perfect and you know forgiven for the blood of Jesus Christ and the last thing I want to say to you I'm sorry that I've gone a bit long today but we've also got the three resurrections right so where are we now the kingdom of God that's here now we're here through Christ right Christ died was buried three days and three nights rose again from the dead you know he he's the the first fruits right the first fruits and then he said and then ah I better turn there I'm messing that up first Corinthians 15 you guys want to turn there first Corinthians 15 verse 23 but every man in his own order Christ the first fruit so this one at the resurrection Christ the first he called himself the first fruits okay he's the first to be resurrected he's the first to receive the resurrected body and after he resurrected we see the resurrected body you know he sent the Holy Ghost right so we have that resurrection that takes place that's available in Christ and we have the Holy Ghost here present right but then it says here afterward they that are they that are Christ at his coming so before Christ establishes his millennial kingdom there's that coming the coming of Christ we know that and that's when he resurrects the Saints we receive the resurrected bodies we are part of that first resurrection and then it says this then cometh the end when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God even the father when you shall put down all rule and all power authority and power for he must reign till have put in all enemies under his feet the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death so at the end of the millennium death and hell are cast into the lake of fire that's the point that this is referring to and the reason why death is destroyed is because there's that final resurrection that we read about in the Revelation both the unsaved to the resurrection of damnation and then the saved so you have this final resurrection of the saved at the end of the millennium before the new heavens and new earth takes place you see how everything takes place in threes in the kingdom of God but the only way you're gonna understand this and and to me that's that's easy now that I get it it's actually easy to understand the kingdom of God is something that grows it's here now it's invisible to most people we know it's here because we're born of the Spirit but then we see it in the future in the millennium when Christ comes in then in its fulfilled fullness when we see God in all his glory in the new heavens and the new earth and you can see how and I think I'm right like I said I'm not teaching you anything that people haven't taught bits and pieces but I've never heard it organized and you know what to reach that point you just have to believe the Bible you just have to believe it's here now oh it's it's in the future oh there's a eternal as well you just believe and then you work it out right you just believe the Word of God let's pray