Bible Class Audio May 23, 2010 “Kingdom of God (Part 2)
Bible Class Audio May 16, 2010 “Kingdom of God (Part 1)
“From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Matthew 4:17 (TNIV)
1. A Central Theme of Jesus Teachings
The Kingdom of heaven is a central theme in the teachings of Jesus throughout his ministry. It’s difficult to gain the deeper faith and understanding from his message without understanding the kingdom message first.
As you discover the depth to which the kingdom of God message is infused into the preaching of Jesus and the Apostles you have to wonder where in our church history was that message lost? If it was so central to the original message, why did we water it down?
“It may be said that the teaching of Jesus concerning the Kingdom of God represents his whole teaching. It is the main, determinative subject of all his discourse. His ethics were ethics of the Kingdom; his theology was theology of the Kingdom; his teaching regarding himself cannot be understood apart from his interpretation of the Kingdom of God” (Dr. F. C. Grant, from “The Gospel of the Kingdom,” Biblical World, 50, pp. 121-191).
The gospel (good news) message is still preached proudly, something from which we can never stray. Jesus is the salvation for the world, He is the final sacrifice for sins, He was crucified and buried in a tomb, He was triumphant over death, He is the mediator of the new covenant. What has been lost I’m afraid is the rest of the story, that Jesus has redeemed us into the Kingdom of God. As Jesus said,
“The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached…” (Luke 16:16 TNIV) (more…)