The King Reigns In His Kingdom

Nation so not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. That's the millennium with the thousand years of enforced peace on earth under the rulership of Jesus Christ, long prophesied this utopia will be centered in Jerusalem what the UN could never do.

Jesus will do today will learn what the millennium is and why it's coming. Stay with us from Chicago. We welcome you to The Moody Church. Our weekly service of worship and teaching under the ministry of Dr. Erwin Lidster. Today we continue attend part look into the future were calling when he shall come later in our service will catch the vision of what it will be like when he reigns in his kingdom. Pastor looks or comes now to open our service today is adoption Sunday and were reminded from the book of Romans that all of us are adopted it. Nobody gets into the family of God by being born into the family of God we get into the family of God by being adopted. Romans chapter 8 says that we have the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, father, and we indicate our love and our intimacy with our heavenly father because he adopted us in Jesus Christ our Lord going to invite you to take just a moment of quietness. Let's give our hearts to the Lord. I shall pray and then we shall stand to sing. Father, we thank you to David we are your sons and daughters. Thank you that you chose us to be a part of a family that will exist eternally and we ask today that even as we sing together burdens will be lifted.

Faith will be generated and birthed within us and your name be glorified, open our hearts, we pray to your holy word. Also make this a transforming experience that you might be magnified in all things in Jesus name, amen. Chapter follow along in your bulletins and join me. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him in love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace with which he has blessed us in the beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us in all wisdom and insight, making known to us the mystery of his will according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will. For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints. I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the work of his great night that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. I begin my message today with the question when you pray, thy kingdom come, in the Lord's prayer. What are you praying for, what are you expecting God to do what do you think this kingdom would be like if it were to ever, the idea of utopia is something that is in every human heart and every generation has look forward to utopia all the way from the time when the word was invented by Thomas Moore in the year 1516 when he wrote a book entitled utopia. Well, today I'm going to speak about utopia. It's coming some things about it in God's time and in God's way and were also to talk about your part in this utopia so I want you to listen carefully today. I have many passages of Scripture to give you. In some instances, I will simply summarize them and in other instances quote them, and then eventually we will turn together in the Scriptures, but I need to do some background work first and second Samuel chapter 7 God came to David and said something interesting. He said David after you.

There's going to be a son is going to build the temple and I will discipline them when he becomes evil, but in the end you will have no that your house and your kingdom is going to endure forever as that happened, house, meaning genealogy and kingdom meaning territory over there and Israel were David rule. I don't think so. When Jesus was born when he was conceived in Mary's womb you member the angel said this to her.

He said that he shall be great, and shall be called the son of the most high, and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David, and he shall rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there shall be no and set been fulfilled has Jesus reigned over the house of David over the tribe of Jacob is that happened. I don't think so. Jesus has never rule from Jerusalem. He's never ruled over the territory. The David what is this business of Jesus ruling on earth you know it's interesting that in the Old Testament you have chapter after chapter oftentimes devoted to this idea of utopia when the Messiah rains, may I invite you and you can if you wish turn to us. Isaiah chapter 2 for just a moment. Isaiah chapter 2 you read these passages and you've asked yourself the question, where do they fit Isaiah chapter 2 it says verse two it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted above the hills. All the nations will flow into it. House of the Lord. Speaking of Jerusalem. Many people shall come and say, come, let us go to the mountain of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob that he may teach us his ways.

We may walk in his paths for out of Zion. By the way, Zionism, poetic name for Jerusalem for out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He Messiah shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples, and they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning out nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. Most assuredly, that has not happened and what's interesting about verse four. If you go to the United Nations building in New York and then you cross the street to the Plaza where there is a wall on that wall is inscribed one half of verse four, not the whole thing just the last half and they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.

Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. That's all that's there. Obviously they didn't include the first part debate that he that is, Christ shall judge among the nations. The United Nations may be doing many good things but one thing they are not doing is trying to establish peace on the earth under the authority of Jesus. So they snatched the last part of verse four and then at the base of it. You simply say, Isaiah they didn't even give the reference less somebody happened to look it up and realize that it's a messianic passage and that's why that wall is referred to today and you can Google it on the Internet is referred to today as the Isaiah will the Scripture is going to be fulfilled.

But it's going to be fulfilled when he Jesus judges among the nation there so many passages like this, I shall turn to another one very briefly. Isaiah 11 it says his daylight speaking of Christ. In verse three shall be in the fear of the Lord.

He shall not judge by what is I see her decide disputes by what is theirs here. He's not going to govern by hearsay but with righteousness he will judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth. He shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked righteousness shall be on the belt and faithfulness the belt of his loins, and then notice this the wolf and the lamb shall dwell together. Another text says the lion and the lamb are going to lie down together plan is not happening today you notice very carefully today when the lion and the Lamb lie down when the lion gets up lamb is missing, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat in the calf and the lion and the fatted calf together and a little child shall lead them. What is Isaiah talking about he's speaking about the rule of Jesus on earth the coming kingdom.

What we have to do is to put this in context, if you been with us and this happens to be. Message number eight in a series entitled, when he shall come, you know that we have emphasized that it is best to see the return of Christ into stages. First of all, Jesus comes for his church and we are with him in glory than Antichrist arises and you have the tribulation.

You have the temple being built in Jerusalem and as we learned last time, there's this glorious appearing of Jesus to the Mount of olives and that the nation Israel looks on him whom they have pierced and an multitudes of Jewish people who are alive at that time recognize Jesus to be the Messiah and they look on him whom they have pierced, and they believe there are several reasons for the glorious return of Christ that we spoke about last time. One reason is to judge the world because of its evil and that judgment as we learned is terrifying. But there's another reason and that is to establish the kingdom to finally fulfill all the promises that God made all the way through the Old Testament about a coming Golden age about utopia with Jesus, terrain, and so that's why he returns to Jerusalem to finally fulfill the promises now when you look at it that way, you begin to understand here that this particular age.

This particular age of the coming of Jesus is very important. The topography of Jerusalem changes we learned last time that the Mount of olives splits into Jerusalem is exalted.

It says Jerusalem is going to be on a plateau at that time and what a kingdom it is going to be now because we have to hurry.

I have to answer another question who gets into the kingdom gets into the kingdom well for this. Let's turn to Matthew chapter 25 Matthew 25 and I'm giving you time to find it. It's on page 831. If you have a Bible like mine. Matthew is the first book of the New Testament. You'll notice it says in chapter 25 verse 31, when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne before him will be gathered all nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

I understand that sheep and goats don't get along very well and sheep are usually quite docile. Where is goats are very unruly. So this would be a familiar image and he will place the sheep on his right and the goats on the left, then the King will say to those on his right, you who are blessed by my father and inherit the kingdom prepared for you from before the foundation of the world and so there's going to be a separation at the end of the tribulation. When some people go into the kingdom and some do not. Many people if we took time to read the text they think here that Jesus is changing his view of salvation because he says that you'll get into the kingdom because you did, kind things to my brothers. They were in prison and you visited them they were hungry and you fed them.

They were naked and you clothed them. So is that the way to get into the kingdom. We need to understand, remember, during the tribulation. There are those who do not take the mark of the beast. They are under persecution. They are jailed. Many of them were killed and during that period of time. Many Jews are coming to recognize Jesus as Messiah and those Gentiles and others who recognize that these Jews are believing. If these Gentiles are believers that they're going to do all that they can to support the Jews. They are going to bless them and what we're fine here is not the root of faith. But the fruit of it showing the true faith always is seen by works. Those who took care of the Jews who refused to take the mark of the beast.

The Jews who believed on Jesus and trusted Jesus now recognizing him to be the Messiah. They obviously are in the company of those who are blessed because they too have put faith in Jesus Christ. Bottom line, all those who enter into the kingdom will be believers, but don't be in their natural bodies now. Are y'all doing out there. By the way is everybody still with me. Maybe a little bit like drinking from a fire hydrant today but I want you to stay with me because we've got some things to still share that will dazzle your imagination. What are some of the characteristics of this kingdom that we hear about what one of them is most assuredly the Jesus rules. I mean you can go to the Psalms and you can Psalm to. I have set my king upon my holy hill of Zion all the way through. God is talking about a time of utopia on earth when Jesus Christ rules so Jesus rules the curse is partially lifted. Not totally lifted there's another passage in Isaiah that says a child shall die when he is 100 years old. That's obviously not a reference to heaven. That's a reference to the kingdom and it means that there will be longevity. In other words, if you die at the age of 100 your dying young words today to guide the age of 100 is to die very old and the lion and the lamb shall lie down together, there's not going to be any overt rebellion. But eventually there will be an Jesus shall rule by the way, to understand now that Christmas Carol that all of us love and joy to the world.

I often sing it with a smile, especially when we get to verse three and four because you see the joy to the world. The first stanza can apply to the coming of Jesus in the manger in Bethlehem.

Joy to the world, the Lord is, let Earth receive her King.

But when you get to the other stances. Three. Excuse me to 3M for that's millennial reign of Jesus is not in stanza four.

It says he rules the world with truth and grace and makes the nations prove the glory of his righteousness, and the wonder of his grace. I don't think so. I don't see that today when I read today's headlines.

Jesus is not making the nations prove anything. He's being faithful to his people, but that is millennial reign on earth and in fact another status is no more. Let sins and sorrows grow North thorns infest the ground gotta be kidding.

I'm a farmer's boy there plenty of thorns infesting the ground.

Those are millennial passages that we sing them at Christmas and it's fine to sing them but just let them know that Isaac Watts was nodding. Think about the first coming of Jesus, but the second coming of Jesus in Bethlehem. Well folks, now we get to the big game's time for you to take your Bibles and everybody has a Bible because everybody brings his or her Bible to church and where in the 20th chapter of the book of Revelation and what a book it is now, but we need to do is to read a few passages from the 20th chapter of Revelation chapter 19 we learned last time Jesus return chapter 20 now follows with the millennial kingdom that we've been describing in all the promises of the Old Testament. It says then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand.

The key to the bottomless pit and a great chain and he sees the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years and threw him into the pit and shut it and sealed it over him so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. And then he must be released for a little while wow tape on time for us to stop by the way when it says the pit that is not held yet.

That is a holding place for evil spirits and Satan.

This passage an unnamed angel. We don't know in the world. It is Jesus says to an ordinary angel hey come here. I got a job for you and can empower you take Satan and put them into the pit now.

Undoubtedly, the chain is probably symbolic, but the point is, he is a chain. He is the key to the bottomless pit and all that the angel has to do is to say Satan I'm I'm under God's authority. Now, come over here. We got a place for you. You're going to be incarcerated for a thousand years. Come on, get into the pit and Satan says if God says that I have to do it. Don't you like that, the absolute authority of Jesus and his angels, and when you read this six times you read for a thousand years. Ever wonder where did the idea come from that the millennial kingdom was a thousand years. Well it's in this passage when I am teaching you today is called pre-millennialism the word millennial referring to a thousand years pre-millennial means that Jesus returns the more the millennium you settle is there any other view. Yeah, there's some other views. For example, there are those who are all millennial millennial means that they don't believe that there is going to be a millennium, Your Honor, they tend to spiritualize all these passages in say that they're going to be fulfilled. Somehow, in heaven and that when Jesus said excuse me, the angel said that Jesus was going to rule over the kingdom of David that that actually is a heaven, so they don't take these passages literally, but we believe the Bible the way it is written, and if it says that Jesus is going to rule from Jerusalem were naïve enough to believe that God is going to do exactly what he said. Now with that introduction.

Let's go through the passage so one of the other characteristics of this period of time is that Satan is bound by the way, this is a parenthesis I read all millennial people who believe that we are in the millennium now that's one of the ways to explain it and I have in my library a book on counseling that says if you ever encounter someone who says that he's encountered a demon or the devil you can be sure he's wrong because this is the millennium and Satan is bound anybody out there believe that I have to say today that if Satan is bound in this era got a very long chain.

I need to tell you know. We believe this is future. So we continue. Satan is bound and then there are a host of people who ruled with Jesus. Verse four then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Let's stop there before we go on to this other category of people who is to be ruling with Jesus in the millennial kingdom got your pen and paper for different categories at least number one. The Old Testament saints. That's what it says in the book of Daniel chapter 7 verse 27 it says his holy ones are going to be ruling with him book of Daniel, so we know that they will be there for sure.

There is going to be David and there is going to be Abraham and a whole host of other unnamed ones who are going to be ruling with Christ in the millennial kingdom. The apostles certainly Jesus said to them, one time he says you are going to sit with me on 12 thrones ruling over the tribes of Israel. Oh really now. That's what Jesus said so.

We know that they are going to be there the 11 apostles for sure. What about us. Well, here's the good news folks, this was worth coming to church for today all present believers will also be ruling with Jesus throughout the New Testament, you have the promises that we shall reign with him. If we suffer with him, we shall reign with impulses. Jesus said to the churches of the book of Revelation. He who overcomes, to him I shall grant to sit with me on my throne, even as I overcame and sat with my father.

It also says in Revelation chapter 5 verse 10 that he has made us kings and priests and we shall reign on the earth as kings and I assume also as liens over the earth sitting with Jesus in carrying out the responsibilities that he gives us now at this point, your theological mind has to be expanded a little bit because you said will Pastor Lutzer you taught us that when the rapture takes place that we are going to have already our heavenly bodies and the people who enter the millennial kingdom during the judgment of the sheep and the goats. They're going to still be in their earthly bodies they're going to be bearing children that is right that troubled you.

The fact that we're going to have permanent bodies and still be involved with those who don't, it shouldn't trouble you just think of Jesus after the time of the resurrection. Jesus was able to interact with the disciples. Now mind you, he had a body, the likes of which they didn't have he could go from Jerusalem to Galilee. In a split second, but he ate fish with them. He communed with them so we are going to be ruling with Jesus Christ over certain territories carrying out certain responsibilities in the millennial kingdom and will rejoice in the fact that God's promises were absolutely and totally fulfill them now we must hurry on.

Notice it says I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded.

I'm in the middle of verse four.

For the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God. What that means is, those who die during the tribulation are raised now also to reign with Christ, which should not surprise us. Of course they would be any simply commenting on that.

It says they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. Folks the rest of the dead refers to those who show up at the great white throne judgment that is described at the end of this chapter, I have been preaching at The Moody Church for more than 30 years.

I know I look a lot younger than that, but I this is the first time in my history here that I'm almost fearful of the next message that I'm called to preach in this series. What I'm going to share with you next week is absolutely chilling the great white throne judgment at which all unbelievers are conscripted to attend and they are thrown into the lake of fire forever and ever. I want to warn you, pray for me next week, especially because it is a chilling message. So, blessed are those he says who participate in the first resurrection. The first resurrection are the resurrection we talked about of all believers. The second resurrection is the resurrection of the unbelievers, and he says blessed are those who participate in the first resurrection because over them. The second death has no power second death is the lake of fire. Now what happens at the end. Unbelievably there is a rebellion verse seven and when the thousand years are ended. Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog don't confuse that with the Gog and Magog that is found in the book of Ezekiel that we preached about totally different circumstances.

Gog and Magog sometimes used generally as nations that are rebellious against God, and you have a rebellion that happened will remember the people who go into the millennial kingdom. They have children and those children grow up and some of them trust the king under authority they are and others don't.

They still rebel against God.

And so there is a brief rebellion.

This is the last war of all of history on planet Earth. After this comes eternity and there is no other battle none. And then the Bible says that fire comes down from heaven. God takes care of it very quickly and it says Satan is thrown into the lake of fire. Wonder who throws Satan into the lake of fire, an angel, maybe I have a friend by the name of Stephen Davies was a great preacher of the word, and he suspects though he can't prove this is speculation. He suspects that it might be Adam and maybe his wife Eve, who get to throws Satan into the lake of fire met the grade of a fraud all these centuries you know Adam has been pinned within the minutes is sin and the sin of his wife that got us into all this trouble. Anyway, you know, it's Adam that send Adam that sin, because they were deceived by Satan. Wouldn't that be something if Adam had the privilege of throwing the serpent who deceived him into the lake of fire and brimstone forever and ever and ever will have to wait to see if it's true maybe it is.

How does the soul and well, you're gonna have to take it by faith. But in first Corinthians 15 we have the ending of this era after the thousand years.

It says in chapter 15 verse 24. You can look it up later. First Corinthians 15 it says.

Then comes the end, when the sun delivers the kingdom to the father that God may be all and in all only makes sense in eternity past to God the father said to God the son.

I'm going to give you a people to redeem. Sometimes we refer to them as the elect. Jesus always referred to those as those whom thou hast given me, so Jesus comes and redeems these people he dies for them. He wins victories over Satan and shows the superiority of Jesus and shows the tremendous victory that Jesus writes the rot and when it's all done he who came to do the will of the father now submits the kingdom to the father. The Bible, what is the father going to do all the answer to that is found in other passages that say very clearly that the father then obviously gives the kingdom back to the sun because Jesus is going to rule forever and ever and ever and we will rule with him forever and ever. Which is the yeah you can clap if you want things are going to get much better, much better and ruling with him forever never actually and all that and eternity and the new Jerusalem is really the subject for the last message in this series so I want to do is to bring this down now very quickly to where we live. Why should what we have learned today changes. Why should we be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit. First of all, the word to those of you who are believers in Jesus I'm talking especially to those of you who perhaps are slothful Christian you come to church as long as it doesn't cost you anything to be here when it's convenient. You're here when it's convenient and you are willing to do something, but you want to put yourself out for Jesus you are not loyal in terms of your attendance and commitment. You don't give anything except of course if you happen to have something you you don't witness for Christ. You never volunteer for something because that would take some energy and you kind of sloth and you saline the believers so I'm going to make it my friend. That means that your position in the kingdom will be less Jesus talked about the fact that there were those who are faithful and they could rule over 10 cities in others were unfaithful got five or three and Jesus said to him who overcomes shall I grant to sit with me on my throne, even as I overcame and sat on my father's throne. Don't take it for granted that just because heaven is going to be wonderful. You will have the same responsibilities as someone else who was faithful. That's why the way in which you live in this life matters for all of the eternity. I ask you. I plead with you today. Repent of your laxity days ago, uninvolved, distantly related relationship with Jesus. If that applies to you and every one of us should ask is that I Lord that's for those of you who are believers and unbelievers. Please hear me. You know why God went through all this I mean there are many reasons for the millennial kingdom, but one of the things that God wanted to show are two things. First of all thousand years of incarceration did not change Satan's heart. He came out of the abyss just as evil, with just as much in an against God, as he had before he went in probably the morning because evil doesn't change simply because you have an honest perfect worldwide ruler, and Satan in his evil nature will be evil for ever and ever and ever.

And that's one reason among the couple of others why hell is just that Satan human beings under the authority of Jesus living in the millennial kingdom. Of course, if you think of a thousand years and you have longevity. The earth's population. At this point is huge. Their children grow up and they say who is Jesus to rule over us yet. We took that field trip to Jerusalem, we saw that he is raining there and we see what he is doing.

But why should he be the one to choose what mansion we get to live in. We want him to reign over us.

We'd rather be free. And hell, then servants in the millennium so they actually are going to rebel. Satan is going to be left out of his visit this and he's gonna find a lot of people who were willing to get on his bandwagon and take on Jesus one last time and all of its stupidity and futility.

Imagine taking on Jesus.

Satan should know better.

I mean, for heaven sake an angel threw them into the abyss. If an angel can throw them into the abyss. Think of what Jesus can do by the breath of his mouth and it's all over. You've never trusted Christ as Savior. Now I'm talking to you and I hope the Holy Spirit is talking to you to you, believe on him. Would you see the difference between you and the devil is that the devil, repent, and even if he did he couldn't be redeemed because Jesus never died for him but for you as a human being. You if God has talk to you.

You repent and receive Christ.

Jesus said, unless you are born again, you will not enter the kingdom of God will not see the kingdom of I don't know what else to say to you.

The problem is that the children during the millennial kingdom are going to be gospel hardened.

They've heard it all. They've seen it all and the more they reject the harder and the more in different they become. Don't let that be true on you today. If you hear his voice hardened. Not your heart.

I'm gonna pray right now and if God is talk to you. You talk to him right where you are, maybe you're listening on the Internet. Maybe by radio wherever you are. You talk to God. Now let's bound prayer. Father, we marvel at two things two things grip our imaginations in her mind.

One is the evil of the human heart and the other is the wonder of your grace and we never get over both and we thank you that we can understand your grace, better because we understand ourselves better. We really do have a rebellious streak in us. Would you father take that away would you overcome that in the lives of all who are listening never trusted ecstasy overcome that and now I'm talking to you. That is to say, the people who are performing and listening in other ways what you told God right now that your repenting of your sin that your believing on Jesus who paid for all who would believe on him to be saved, if you desire to come, follow that desire and believe on him help us now, Lord, we ask in Jesus name, amen new they may in name meaning and faith.

Wilson wrapping up today's Moody Church. Our in which Dr. Erwin.

Luther spoke about the millennium, the time when Jesus reigns in his kingdom. The eight and a 10 part series on when he shall come, eternal punishment is a very difficult teaching next time. Pastor Lussier tackles the issue of eternal punishment as he speaks on what happens when God judges unbelievers.

This entire series is now a book by Dr. lutes or entitled the King is coming a company is waiting for you with our thanks for your gift of any amount to The Moody Church. Our just call us at 1-800-215-5001 when you call. Mention the book the King is coming. Call 1-800-215-5001 or writes to us at The Moody Church 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614 online go to moodyoffer.com that's moodyoffer.com join us next week for another Moody Church.

Our with Dr. Erwin lutes or the congregation of historic Moody Church in Chicago. This broadcast is a ministry of The Moody Church