by Pastor Daniel

Introduction
Of late, I have been thinking about the kingdom of God and listening to sermons about God’s kingdom. It is definitely a concern of every disciple of Jesus Christ and the will of God that His children seek his kingdom.

In Matthew 6:33, a verse that we all are so familiar says, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.”  God has exhorted us to seek first His kingdom.  So if we are to seek first his kingdom, I believe we must understand what his kingdom is all about.

The Kingdom of God - “already, not yet”
In theological term, the kingdom of God is described as something “already, not yet” meaning it is now and yet there is a future element to it. Jesus said that the kingdom of God has come and yet in the prophetic books of both the Old and New Testament, we look forward to the inauguration of Christ’s physical kingdom.

Broadly speaking, the kingdom of God is the rule of an eternal, sovereign God over all the universe. Several passages of Scripture show that God is the undeniable Monarch of all creation: “The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all” (Psalm 103:19). And, as King Nebuchadnezzar declared, “His kingdom is an eternal kingdom” (Daniel 4:3). Every authority that exists has been established by God (Romans 13:1). So, in one sense, the kingdom of God incorporates everything that is.

The Spiritual kingdom
More narrowly, the kingdom of God is a spiritual rule over the hearts and lives of those who willingly submit to God’s authority. Those who defy God’s authority and refuse to submit to Him are not part of the kingdom of God; in contrast, those who acknowledge the lordship of Christ and gladly surrender to God’s rule in their hearts are part of the kingdom of God. In this sense, the kingdom of God is spiritual—Jesus said His kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36), and He preached that repentance is necessary to be a part of the kingdom of God (Matthew 4:17). That the kingdom of God can be equated with the sphere of salvation is evident in John 3:5–7, where Jesus says the kingdom of God must be entered into by being born again. See also 1 Corinthians 6:9.

The Physical Kingdom
There is another sense in which the kingdom of God is used in Scripture: the literal rule of Christ on the earth during the millennium. Daniel said that “the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed” (Daniel 2:44; cf. 7:13–14), and many of the other prophets predicted the same thing.  In short, Christ has set up His spiritual reign in the church on earth, and He will one day set up His physical reign in Jerusalem.

The Kingdom’s Perspective
However, what is even more important is how we live the life in the kingdom. If we are citizens of God’s kingdom, then our lives must adhere to the kingdom’s demands.  

To seek first the kingdom of God is firstly a longing to belong to the kingdom of God which comes only by repentance and faith.  To seek first the kingdom of God as his disciples is then to live our lives under the Lordship of Jesus Christ in all aspect and the placement in our lives. 

If there is one rule to all these, it is the Lordship of Jesus Christ in our lives.  In other words, what rules our hearts is basically two elements: “Jesus’ Lordship is preeminent and Jesus’ words is priority”

As we strive in our church theme, “let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me”, it is the acknowledgment of the above.  May we bring forth the beauty of Jesus in our lives.