God’s Kingdom Is Not of This World

Peterson is been repeated incessantly through church history where people who declare that they believe the truth about Christ make alliances with Satan Christians have been trying to use the world to somehow help Jesus build his kingdom. Essentially they have struck deals with the bill that is 2020, 20 the size of the average congregation dropped from 137 people to 65. Many pastors have tried to reverse that trend by making their churches more entertaining. For example, by using clips from popular movies as sermon illustrations, even by putting in skate parks and arcades, but will strategies like those strengthen the church for the work it needs to do the work.

God established the church to do the challenges for God's people seem more insurmountable today than ever. Make sure your thinking biblically about those challenges. John MacArthur's current series can help you do just that. To continue his series called the world versus the kingdom of God hears John Jesus said this in John 18, my kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world and my servants would be fighting so that I would not be delivered over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not of this world. There is no connection between the kingdom of God and the world, we heard the echo still hearing in our ears of the fact that there is a distinction between the flesh and the spirit was in the flesh cannot please God. The flesh, the world. The kingdom of darkness one and the same.

Then Jesus said in Luke 17 the kingdom of God is in your midst kingdom is here because the king is here he is here alive in his church so his kingdom is nothing to do with this world. His kingdom is here separate from the world want to help you to understand that in a very practical way.

I hope to begin with, turned to familiar and even beloved portion of Scripture. The 16th chapter of Matthew and want to begin with an illustration at the expense of our favorite punching bag. Apostle Peter in Matthew 1613 when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he was asking his disciples who do people say that the Son of Man is and they said, some say John the Baptist and others, Elijah still others Jeremiah 1 of the prophets.

But he said to them, but who do you say that I am Simon Peter answered. You are the Christ, the Messiah, the son of the living God and Jesus said to him, Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my father who is in heaven. I also say to you that your Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. While the highlight of Peter's life.

He was a spokesman for God. Flesh and blood did not reveal this to you but my father who is in heaven. You just spoke for God, but in verse 21 from that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes be killed, and be raised up on the third day, Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, God forbid it, Lord. This shall never happen to you return and said to Peter, get behind me Satan you're a stumbling block to me for not setting your mind on God's interest, but man's how in the world in one moment can you be a spokesman for God. And then a voice for Satan. When you cross the line from God's interest to man's me couldn't be more clear get behind me Satan who Parque go away. Satan, the exact verb used in Matthew 410 when it the temptation he dismissed the devil himself strong, intense emotion, fierce rebuke, Jesus speaks to Peter as the voice of Satan exactly the same way he spoke to Satan himself, most devastating rebuke to a disciple you are in partnership with the devil because you picked up man's cause discretion Peter means stone. You are a rock and now you are a stumbling stone you're in the way of God's purposes. You're not setting your mind on God's interest. Same term. The here in Colossians 3.

Set your mind on things above and not on things on the earth. This is the worst rebuke and for a loving disciple who just hit the high point of his life below point must've been completely crushing the devil's way is to get people who confess the truth caught up in the devil's work crossing the line from the kingdom of light back into the kingdom of darkness to get Christians to think that the kingdom of light can advance listen without suffering. You need to go to the cross we can. It q. week and we can get you what you need without the cross and he was essentially saying to Jesus exactly what the devil had said I'll give you all the kings of the world just bow down to me. Peter's recycling that same temptation. You need to die. There's another way you don't need to suffer.

You can make concessions you can make compromises with the dark kingdom Peterson is been repeated incessantly through church history, all of church history where people who declare that they believe the truth about Christ make alliances with Satan Christians have been trying to use the world the darkness of the flesh, the spiritually dead.

To somehow help Jesus build his kingdom. That essentially they have struck deals with the devil every effort to advance the kingdom by means of a worldly scheme is an attempt to do God's work. The devil's way and to avoid listen carefully suffering to avoid rejection to avoid hostility. That's exactly the temptation that the devil gave and that Peter recycled did we forget that we lose our lives for the gospel.

Did we forget that there is no crown without a cross. That's always a devil's temptation paid will advance the church by having a very powerful lobby group in Washington DC manipulating politicians will advance the kingdom via cleverly developing some strategies for the church to win over the kingdom of darkness. Citizens pull them in will be very accepting and very tolerant and will talk about sin will devise some very worldly means to make them feel like this is normal life of this is going to be just like the concert they went to her dislike a Ted talk, they heard all of it has one thing in mind to avoid the suffering that comes with the confrontation of the gospel turn to second Corinthians chapter 6 this is a deathblow to compromise second Corinthians chapter 6 going to read it. Starting in verse 14. See if this is all confusing to not be bound together with unbelievers. For what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness or what harmony has Christ with Belle Isle or Satan or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever or what agreement has the temple of God with idols for where the temple of the living God, just as God said, I will dwell in them and walk among them, and I will be their God and they shall be my people. Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate, says the Lord, and do not touch what is unclean and I will welcome you and I'll be a father to you and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty then verse one therefore, having these promises beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

This is the most direct and powerful attack on compromise two kingdoms one is marked by righteousness light Christ believers in God. The other is marked by lawlessness, darkness both Lyle who is Satan. Unbelievers and idols.

There is no possibility of those two coming together in any common cause that has any spiritual or eternal significance. No possibility. None whatsoever. Now one came as old mother's new one is earthly mother's heavenly one is deadly. The others life-giving one is material, the other spiritual. One is lying.

The others truthful. So the command back to verse 14 do not be bound together with unbelievers say, does that mean if you're married to an unbeliever divorced him no Paul dealt with in chapter 7 married to an unbeliever, you stay with them but what does that mean that we does that mean that we become monastics and we go live in a cave. No, no. Paul actually says in this very same letter that he became all things to all men that he might win some and Jesus in John 17 pray to the father.

Father, I don't ask you take them out of the world. I asked you keep them from the evil one. They have to be here to fulfill the great commission. Don't let them get seduced by Satan. Don't let them get pulled over into the kingdom of darkness. Don't be bound together. This comes from Deuteronomy 22.

This is most interesting prescription that God gave to Israel. Very practical one. Listen to this. Deuteronomy 22 he's talking about all kinds of laws, agriculture, talking about donkeys and oxen and close and down in verse 10 he says you shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together. Ice is pretty practical to hook up a donkey and an ox to the same cart. They have two different natures.

They have two different gates to different temperaments. That's a prohibition shall not plow with an ox in a donkey together.

They can't function together in a common effort and that is what's behind this statement. You can't bring the kingdom of darkness in the kingdom of light together any common cause you can't pick up the world's causes and link them to the divine cause mandate of the gospel all say never want to do is disrupt the work of God is that right or are we unclear about that you think he wants to help, and Satan wants to disrupt the work of God according to what Scripture says two ways.

One, by joining the church by sewing tares among the wheat. Matthew 13 two.

By seducing the church to join the world and the people of God are constantly warned against that.

Listen to Romans 1617. Urge your brother and keep your eye on those who cause dissension and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. Stay away from divisive people who are doing things that do not fit biblical doctrine currently turning the church into a battleground by picking up the philosophies of darkness is a violation of the simple command the kingdom of light joining the bitter, vengeful, graceless philosophy, godless philosophy spawned out of 300 years ago of God hating Christ rejecting anti-family anti-Christian atheists who were driven by sexual perversion, bringing the kingdom of light in the any connection to that is on thinkable, unthinkable, but they say people are basically good for sanity denies that that has to be overturned.

People need another good and they should be able to do anything they want to do and it's only the bad people who got into power and may laws against all sexual behavior and should be free because basically he's good and do whatever he wants. Don't restrain him.

That's what religion is done we need to get rid of religion. That's the bottom line difference at the start in the gospel. We say man is basically what evil in the kingdom of darkness.

Man is basically good. Listen to Mark this is really a indisputable verse 18 of chapter 7 are you so lacking in understanding do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him. His problem is not outside because it doesn't go into his heart and into his stomach, and is eliminated.

Thus he declared all foods clean and he was saying that was proceeds out of the man. That is what defiles the man for from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornication, staffs, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.

Problem is not what somebody did your ancestors. The problem is you is you and when Christians give that point they cut the gospel off at it's very start.

God looked at the earth in Genesis 6 and said nothing but evil continually that a completely different view of humanity in the kingdom of darkness. That man is basically good, so we ought to be able to do whatever he wants in the kingdom of light has had too much influence is taken away freedom to get rid of the kingdom of light we get rid of all of it every bit of it get out of our culture never can become obsessed with sex, not just a personal level and pornography, but at a political level so that all you want to talk about is the rights of people who are perverted sexually because they were overthrown God.

At least they think they have no Paul supports the command in verse 14.

By looking into three areas which would be obvious to pass the present and future. Let me just start with the past this very verb bound together is drawn out of that Deuteronomy 2210 passage both about the ox in the donkey that reminds us of prohibitions in the Old Testament with regard to Israel. Let me just remind you of things that God said to Israel about being bound together with unbelievers, so that let's look at the past. Let's go back. For example, to the 23rd chapter of Exodus, verse what is look at verse 31, 32, the end of the chapter affects your boundary in the promised land from the Red Sea to the sea, the Philistines, and from the wilderness, the river Euphrates will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand and you will drive them out before you.

That's pretty serious. God knew the impact of pagans living side-by-side with the Jewish people and so he told them you need to drive them out. This is your land. I gave it to Abraham in a covenant promise you need to drive them out. Verse 32 you shall make no covenant with them or with their gods.

One of them driven out because they pose such a threat to the integrity of his people in the 34th chapter of Exodus again just after replacing the law, watch yourselves verse 12 Exodus 3412 that you make no covenant with the inhabitants of the land in which are going or will become a snare in your midst, but rather your to tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and cut down their Asher room false worship location. Rather, your to tear them down for you shall not worship any other God for the Lord's name is jealous is a jealous God.

Otherwise, you might make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land and they would play the harlot with their gods and sacrifice to their gods and someone might invite you to eat of his sacrifice and you might take some of his daughters for your sons and his daughters might play the harlot with their gods and cause your sons also play the harlot with their gods. You you you have no business making any alliance with the enemy in the seventh chapter of Deuteronomy skipping some other scriptures. Chapter 7 begins when the Lord your God brings you into the land. Now they were on the edge of the land ready to go in the land where you are entering to possess it clears away many nations before you hit tight security sites, Amorites, Canaanites, parasites, Hivite's Jebusites, seven nations greater and stronger than you Lord is gonna take care them to bring you in and when the Lord your God delivers them before you, and you defeat them. Then you will utterly destroy them. While that's how dangerous they were utterly destroy them shall make no covenant with them, show no favor to them.

Furthermore, you shall not intermarry with them.

You shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor shall you take their daughters for your sons for they will turn your sons away from following me to serve other gods, and then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you and he will quickly destroy you that thus you shall do to them shall tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars here down there Asher and and burn their graven images with fire, for you are a holy people separate people holy to the Lord your God, the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. The Lord did not set his love on your choose you because you were more in number than other people's are you were the fewest of all peoples, but because the Lord love you. He brought you here with his mighty hand out of Egypt. Make no alliance go to war with them, eliminate them, Isaiah picks up the same crime number of places in his prophecy, God gave them laws that kept them socially disconnected. They had clothing laws they had dietary laws they had calendar laws that all kinds of laws and prescriptions of all phases of life which made it was were designed not for some spiritual benefit was were designed to make it very very difficult for them to interact with other people. One of the fries that led to the Holocaust in Europe was the fact that the Jews never amalgamated lately never mingled with the other populations of people and Hitler use them as a threat as if they were plotting people's destruction. People didn't interact with them and this was part of the legacy of that original prescription that was intended to help them stay separate from the nations who worshiped idols so don't be bound together with unbelievers and some new.

It was very clear in the past. This is grace to you with John MacArthur, Chancellor of the Masters University in seminary today.

John continued his compelling brand-new series called the world versus the kingdom of God. John, this is a fascinating study that God does not bless partnerships between the kingdom of light in the kingdom of darkness are ministry depends on partnerships partnerships that we build with our listeners and we know that the Lord does bless those kinds of relationships.

Yeah there's nothing more impossible than a genuine relationship in any spiritual enterprises between the kingdom of light in the kingdom of darkness. And there's nothing more wonderful than building relationships within the kingdom of light within the kingdom of God and of those relationships are everything. Everything grace to you is what it is really because of those relationships them and you could start with the fact that we have here.

I don't know. I suppose in any given week, 100 people who are here serving the Lord at grace do you mean that that's a partnership of light minded people who share the common convictions and of sound doctrine and the love for the Lord and it did broadens from there to radio station owners and managers and personnel and it goes then beyond that to cross the world to grace partners who stand with us weekend and week out, month and week out and then many many other partners who pray for us.

So yeah this is that this is how the kingdom functions that this is the glorious reality that the kingdom only advances when believers come together, and that is the way God designed the body of Christ. We think about how the Lord designed his church. He said the yield the best illustration that I know is the one that's not in the Old Testament in terms of a relationship between Israel and God.

But is in the new in the church and God and the church becomes a body in Christ is the head and all the members have a part of me that is that is the picture of the relationships that are critical and essential to the manifestation of Christ in the kingdom in the world so we want you to know folks that we are here because of you and we want to serve you, but you just need to know how you serve us were thankful to be teaching to be feeding you the word of God to be providing all kinds of resources but we also know that you give back to us and it comes full circle and because of that giving. We are able to continue to do what we do our ministries healthy.

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