The Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 7:21)

Introduction

Donald J. Trump. I’ve always wanted to begin a sermon like that. Our president gave his first State of the Union address on Tuesday night. And at least ten of you watched it. Topics of that speech involved immigration, infrastructure, tax cuts, already evidenced in your paycheck. Maybe. Giving honor to those who have sacrificed for the welfare of others and national unity.

I thought about how each of them relate to a kingdom of a greater kind than the United States of America. I thought about citizenship as it relates to the most important realm and kingdom that exists. To be a citizen of that kingdom, you must embrace requirements for entrance. This is a kingdom that is designed for the well-being of all of its citizens in the ultimate way possible. Incomparable wealth. For every person so aligned and involved in this kingdom. I mean, we want these things on perhaps a national level, but how about in the greatest kingdom that exists? The imitation of her heroes. Those who by faith and diligence inherited the promises. And then I thought about the citizens as they are united by a common bond.

A common salvation, according to Jude verse 3. And so all of these talking points have an even greater implication and application to what Jesus referred to as the kingdom of heaven.

And the fact that I was up at 3 a.m. thinking about. Yes, that’s Thursday morning, 3 a.m., thinking about that class and my dissatisfaction with it. Not that because the teaching was not valuable, and I think we needed what we did. However, we ended up talking mostly about what the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is not because of misconceptions that abound in the religious world. And we should not leave a discussion of something that has so much import and significance and tremendous meaning in our lives, we should not leave that at a discussion of things that it’s not. What is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit? Properly understood, as we tried to explain Wednesday night. What is it designed to do for us as kingdom citizens?

It is to remind us that God is with us and God is present in our struggle. That is not always perceived in our circumstances. When we are going through pain and trial and perhaps even persecution, as we see in the book of Revelation, people were losing their lives, family members were lost. And so sometimes when we go through the struggle of life, even as kingdom citizens with all of those benefits that we talked about momentarily ago. Sometimes we do not perceive God’s presence or feel that he is near.

John 14 and verse 23. And we are sealed by the Holy Spirit, Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 14. Jesus worked in his ministry and at Calvary for us, and in the Spirit’s ongoing work explaining the meaning of all of that marks us as belonging to God in a special way and for special purposes. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit means that he is our conduit for God connection. And so I didn’t want to leave that class without talking about the positive aspects of what it means to be indwelt by God. And so now I want to talk about the kingdom.

1. Inclusion Fundamentally Changes Who You Are

And the one thing that I want you to get, actually, there’s a couple things, but one thing right at the very beginning is that inclusion in the kingdom of heaven fundamentally changes who you are. Inclusion in this kingdom starts in a very unconventional way. In Jesus’ gospel of the kingdom, as it is mentioned in Matthew chapter 4, beginning in chapter 5, when he says, in his first words, blessed are the poor in spirit. Okay, fundamentally changes who we are. Who are you on the inside? Blessed are the poor in spirit. Finish the verse. For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. In verse 10, blessed are you when you are persecuted. In the interesting conclusion of the Beatitudes in this great sermon, blessed are the persecuted, those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Fundamentally changes who we are. The kingdom of heaven. And I said in the Bible class that the term kingdom of heaven is really interchangeable with all the other things that we see in the Beatitudes. The kingdom of heaven, those so associated inherit the earth. They are the sons of God. They shall see God. And so when we see God for who he is, when we see his kingdom for what it is, when we see his will for what it is, then we see ourselves better. And we understand such great concepts as security, self-worth, purpose unto the highest good and achievement man can find in this realm. But be advised. Not every one who says unto me, Lord, will enter into the kingdom of heaven. But he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

And he goes on to talk about that day, a day of reckoning. Whether you see that as some temporal kind of judgment where he takes accounting of his people as we so often see in the Old Testament, or ultimately anticipating final judgment. Just the fact that we could say, I know Jesus.

I knew some things about him. We even did religious works in his name. We performed miracles. Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons, and in your name perform many miracles? But then I will declare to them, I never knew you who practice lawlessness. Jesus is challenging his audience as to an understanding of the very nature of this kingdom. It’s not just about some familiarity with Jesus or religious works. It must involve the submission of our hearts. Not everyone who says unto me, Lord, will enter this kingdom. This isn’t just about ultimately finding our way to heaven. This is about the very nature of entrance into the kingdom. This is about walking through the narrow gate that leads to the narrow way that leads to life.

When you see the phrase kingdom of heaven, don’t just think future. Where all of this is anticipated to ultimately conclude in the presence of God eternally. This is talking about our relationship with the Lord right here, right now. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. So, what is this kingdom all about? Why call it the kingdom of heaven? Over and over again. I want to go through some points rather quickly that you, many of you know, about the nature of this kingdom that was coming that was at hand, Jesus said. Some of you standing here shall not taste of death until you see the kingdom of God come with power. Jesus said in Mark chapter 9 and verse 1. Why call it the kingdom of heaven?

2. Because It Is of Heavenly Origin

Because it is of heavenly origin. And so we should not be surprised when we see the glorious kingdom, the city, the wife, the bride of the Lamb in Revelation chapter 21. In the vision that John sees, how does it come? It descends out of heaven. That is its origin, this city, this relationship with God, comes down out of heaven. And I thought about this. I really have never really thought about this before. This is such a simple concept I should have grasped before now. Why did Pentecost begin like it did? The mighty rushing wind, the Holy Spirit descending on the apostles from heaven, the clothing tongues of fire. Why did it start that way next too? Because this kingdom issues from heaven. That’s why. That’s where it has to start.

3. A Kingdom of Spiritual Dimensions

It is a kingdom of spiritual dimensions, and that because it is so, it is very difficult with human eyes, to always perceive not just who its citizens are, but its glory. Luke chapter 17, verses 20 and 21. And these verses, I want you to hold these thoughts because I’m going to come back to this in a little bit. Because this is the point of a lot of the teaching that Jesus does. The kingdom of God, he said, is not coming with signs to be observed. Now wait a minute. Wouldn’t it be the day of Pentecost? Wouldn’t that be a sign? Okay, but he’s saying it’s not going to come by conventional means. Nor will they say, look, here it is, or there it is, for behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.

Some translations say the kingdom of God is within you. He’s talking about the spiritual dimensions of this kingdom. And even if he’s talking about himself being in their midst as an embodiment of the kingdom, and we can go ahead and get to the next point, that Christ is the king of his kingdom. Certainly it is still emphasizing the truth that this is a kingdom that is spiritual in nature because of John 18, verses 36 and 37. Are you the king of the Jews? That’s what people are saying. Pilate asked Jesus. And he says, What?

If it were of this world, then my servants would fight. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice.

4. Its Eternal Duration

It has spiritual dimensions. It is embraced in the spiritual realm in the hearts and minds of men. Our King, whom we do not see, lives and rules this kingdom. The Spirit who indwells us, who is our conduit to our God connection, as I said by way of introduction, is one whom we cannot see. And finally, yes, the fact that it is the kingdom of heaven points us to its eternal duration. Promised in the prophets. In Daniel chapter 2, in the statue of Nebuchadnezzar, the statue that is destroyed. In his dream, a stone struck the statue and became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. And in the explanation of that, this is the kingdom in verse 44. It will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms of men, but it will itself endure forever.

And then later in Daniel’s visions in chapter 7, he saw one like the Son of Man, and he came up to the ancient of days and was presented before him, and to him was given dominion, glory, and a kingdom, and his kingdom is one that would not be destroyed. And so sometimes, on rare occasions in the New Testament, in 2 Peter chapter 1 and verse 11, it is actually called the eternal kingdom. If we would add those virtues to our faith that we read about in 2 Peter chapter 1, and if these qualities are yours and are increasing, then we will have access and entrance into the eternal kingdom of our God, the kingdom of heaven, as it endures eternally. Well, you might have noticed in the little graphic down here that I also have listed Matthew 13.

5. The Kingdom of Heaven Is Like

And there’s a reason for that. Because the term, the phrase kingdom of heaven, appears seven times. In the gospel narrative in Matthew chapter 13.

So often Jesus spoke of the kingdom of heaven in parables. You know, I’ve always understood this, but I didn’t understand what it was. I’ve always understood that in these kingdom of heaven parables, that Jesus wasn’t talking about all the aspects of the kingdom. The kingdom of heaven is like. And then it gives us one little glimpse or part. I didn’t realize that it is this figure of speech called synectiche. Now, Wednesday night I said an economy is actually synecdoche. I was reading quickly, and the two things follow each other in the book that I was reading. Where a part stands for the whole. And I’ve always used 1 Peter 3.21 as an example of this figure of speech in the Bible. Baptism doth also now save us.

Well, our conversion to the Lord, our entrance into this kingdom, is not just about one act. First of all, baptism is effective because it is fueled by faith. It is preceded by repentance and confession with our lips. But since baptism is such an integral part of the change of our relationship, it is that thing that we do that causes us to come into this kingdom of heaven. This is an example of synecdoche, a part for the whole. And that’s what’s going on in these parables in Matthew chapter 13. And I like Dungan’s explanation of this in his book on Hermeneutics. The Savior’s purpose in all these parables and similes was to remove certain errors from their minds respecting the coming of his kingdom. They thought it would come, like all the kingdoms they knew anything about.

And therefore, with spears and bows and battering rams. I like, that’s exactly the problems his first century audience were having in regard to the kingdom. That’s what they were thinking. Somebody’s going to overthrow Rome. He wished to teach them that it was not that kind of kingdom. And that it could not gain its victories in that way. Its success was to depend upon truth. Thus it begins with the parable of the sober. Planted in the hearts of the people, and when it would grow, then it would bear fruit. So when Jesus was saying in these parables, the kingdom of heaven is like, he is giving us one major or several major great features of this kingdom. And so now let’s go through Matthew 13 quickly and see what those features are.

To you, it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. We are blessed to be in a position to be able to analyze what Jesus said and the apostles said and to have insight. Blessed are your eyes because you see, and your ears because they hear, and we can see what this kingdom was designed to be all about. And what do we learn? The parable of the sower. We were talking about it in Bible class this morning. The word sown in the hearts of people and producing the fruit of this kingdom. That’s where the kingdom of heaven begins. We talked about the parable of the tares that is told and then explained in Matthew chapter 13. And that there’s going to be opposition to the wheat and those who embrace the provisions and blessings of this kingdom.

There will be counterfeits who will pawn themselves off as the real thing but will not be. And they will be a thorn, we might say, in the side of the righteous. But God will take care of them. Then there was the parable of a mustard seed. The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. We talked about this at the end of class. The very nature of the growth, from small and unobserved beginnings in terms of its spiritual quality, grows into something awesome for the benefit of many. The kingdom of heaven is like leaven.

The kingdom of heaven is like a hidden treasure. The kingdom of heaven is like a pearl. A pearl of great price. Upon their being found, the individual, with great joy over what had been discovered, would sell everything in order to buy the field that the treasure was in. Finding this costly pearl of great price tells us of the immense value of the kingdom of heaven. Hold that thought. The dragnet. We don’t talk about this one as much. We’re going to talk about it next Sunday morning in our class. Fishes of every kind are called. Hey, you know what y’all look like to me this morning? A bunch of different looking fishes. Crazy looking fishes, somewhat. Fishes of every kind. Of every social strata and layer. Jew and Gentile, rich and poor, male and female.

A lot of different fish here today. If you get to know them, really different fish. Fish of every kind. What an amazing kingdom that brings all kinds of diversity from every corner of the globe into it. And then I venture out from Matthew 13 to Matthew 18. The kingdom of heaven is like a little child. One who humbles himself like a child. This is one who enters the kingdom of heaven. This is a kingdom of spiritual dimensions. This is a kingdom within. This is a kingdom that has to do with the reception of our hearts to the message of salvation. So then the focal point is not always in these parables, the king, or even the subjects, or all the specific laws or the punishment that will come from rejecting this kingdom.

6. Our Citizenship Is in Heaven

But some great feature, like Paul would say in Romans 14 and verse 7, don’t get hung up on what foods are right to eat or not right to eat, because all foods are clean. For the kingdom is not eating and drinking. That’s not the nature of this kingdom, but it is righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Don’t miss the forest for the trees. Now, what do I want you to take from this brief explanation of the kingdom of God that is so often styled the kingdom of heaven? I don’t know what’s going to happen to our country over the next 20 years. But I can tell you this from my limited experience, my small window of life. Fifty years. Yes, I was around at the bicentennial in 1976.

I rode in a parade with my dad in his antique car in Palmyra, Indiana, in 1976. I guess that makes me old.

When it was baseball, apple pie, and Chevrolet. Foreign cars. What are those? How much has our nation changed in 40 years? I was just telling Sherry this week. I don’t know if I will be alive when it happens, but my son might, my grandson. When the United States of America maybe is no longer the United States of America. The prosperities that we’ve enjoyed may no longer be what they once were. I would hate that for our young people. I have no way of knowing. But I do know this. Citizenship in this kingdom is infinitely better, is infinitely more important than any nationalistic concern. And that’s why Paul says in Philippians chapter 3 and verse 20. I read these verses and I wow is not a big enough word for these verses.

They’re amazing. For our citizenship is in heaven. We’re citizens of the kingdom of heaven. Our citizenship is in heaven, from which, and I don’t know if we do very well with this, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior. He is returning again. And when he does, all of this will be concluded on this earth, for we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, the righteous will be vindicated, the wicked will be punished. And what else will happen on that day? Who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of his glory?

Conclusion

Like I said, WoW doesn’t do that good enough. By the exertion of the power that he has, even to subject all things to himself. Christ, the King reigns. And kingdom of heaven, citizens have a glorious future awakening. I want to conclude this morning by talking about the way we see ourselves. Our identity.

We dry even our apparel and our jewelry more than any and all of those things the way you look at yourself, the most important thing about you is your relationship to this kingdom, and here is why because heaven citizens, kingdom citizens, are recognized in heaven, they are destined for glory, they have assistance on earth, and they are blessed by fellowship with God, and fellowship with other kingdom citizens. Have you embraced the great provisions of the kingdom of heaven? Hark the gentle voice. Let’s stand and see.