The Kingdom of God - Part II
We are seeds in the Kingdom. We are called to grow, bear fruit and multiply. We do this not for our own ministry or purposes, but for God’s.
Jesus said, “My kingdom is like a seed.” He also likened the Kingdom of Heaven to a treasure buried in a field. The man that found it sold all the he had in order to purchase that field. The Kingdom that Jesus taught didn’t match the preconceived notions that people had about the coming of the Messiah and the establishment of His kingdom on Earth. At the time of Christ, Israel had been occupied and in captivity for more than 500 years. Many believed that the Messiah would come to defeat Israel’s enemies and liberate them from captivity. Jesus did come to do this, but not in the way they thought He would.
Jesus came to liberate us from the enemy of sin - the bondage and captivity that comes from living under the power of sin. Jesus came to break the power of sin over our lives. His kingdom is not a kingdom of flesh, but one that is embedded in the hearts and lives of believers. God’s plan for transforming the world is based in planting this kingdom in our hearts. The Sermon on the Mount captures the essence of what this Kingdom is about. The kingdom lifestyle is most clearly demonstrated in the Lord’s prayer.
Jesus says, “When you pray, pray like this.” Part 1 - Our Father who is in Heaven - this is amazing because we are now RELATED to God. We are not only part of the kingdom, we are part of His family and the family of the church. Another thing to notice is that Jesus doesn’t say “My father” - he says our. We are part of Jesus’ family. Nowhere in this kingdom are we supposed to function by ourselves. The kingdom is made up of people who are all connected to God and in God.
Who is in Heaven - God is our father, but he is also God the sovereign who is high above all of the circumstances that we face.
Hallowed be thy name - God’s name is now our name. When we come into the kingdom, we disconnect from our names - or lives - and take His name - His lifestyle. We are adopted into His family.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven - God’s plan is to redeem the whole world. He created it, and he plans to get it back and redeem it from the evil that now infects it. He puts his kingdom back inside of us - plants it in our hearts. As it unfolds inside of us and as we live day to day on this earth - the kingdom of others, the kingdom of God becomes apparent to the world through us.
Give us this day - God is in the here and now. We walk in faith everyday and we walk with Him everyday.
Our daily bread - We have to live in faith and trust God for daily provision.
Forgive us - We have to come under God’s mercy everyday. We never reach perfection here on this earth, but God isn’t expecting us to. He wants us to keep coming into His presence. It is important that we thank God each day for His mercy and forgiveness.
As we forgive others - God forgives us and shows us mercy as we do the same to others. Sometimes wounds are deep, and forgiveness is a journey, but God looks at the intention of our hearts. If we have a desire to love and serve Him, and to do His will in all things, He will heal us and help us to forgive.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil - Who is the evil one? Me. My old nature. My worldly self. The Kingdom of God is a mindset, a heart attitude and a journey to be more like Christ and fulfill God’s plan for our lives.
