Lessons From The Tent
SECTION 3 In this section I would like to point out some of the amazing concepts of the kingdom that make it unlike any government, culture, kingdom or religion that has ever existed. Once again we will have to apply faith and believing to these special characteristics that make the kingdom so unique, because as you will see there is nothing like the invisible kingdom of God in this world. LESSON 39 The uniqueness of the kingdom – Being a peacemaker (part 2) Bible References: * Matthew 5:9 (1) * Colossians 1:19; Colossians 2:9 (2) * Matthew 24:14 (3) * Luke 4:43 (4) * Matthew 24:14 (5) * 1 John 2:1, 2 (6) Good morning and welcome to another Lesson From The Tent. This is the second part of being a peacemaker and nothing teaches us the importance of this more than what the reward for this attitude brings. Those who are peacemakers are called “sons of God.” (1) Let me remind you, this is what Jesus was called, so you can see those who are peacemakers are held in great esteem by God. Jesus was unequivocally the Son of God because of His nature. He was God in a human body. (2) But that is not what someone becomes when they are a peacemaker, for no one can ever turn into God. What then did Jesus’ mean? Peacemakers are called “sons of God” because they do the same work Jesus was sent here to do and that was, preach the good news of the kingdom so people could be restored to peaceful harmony with His Father. (3) The original word translated peace when used concerning God means the state of a soul that fears nothing from Him. So, a peacemaker is someone who helps others learn about the kingdom of God, for it is only those who have been rescued from the domain of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of God’s beloved Son who can be restored to this type of harmony between themselves and God. The disciples lived with Jesus three years and during their whole time together with Him, He constantly taught them about the kingdom. (4) He did not waste time on small talk, political ideology or local news. He poured into His followers the truth they needed to know about the kingdom before He was crucified and returned to heaven. Jesus spent three years morning, noon, and night teaching His followers, so you can see the good news of the kingdom is not a simple message. And the reason is because the good news of the kingdom encompasses everything about life and death. Everything! You may be wondering how a disciple of Christ also has the time to preach the gospel of the kingdom to the world as Jesus commanded, after all we have to work, raise families, and do all the things necessary to take care of those things that come from living in the world. God knows this, but our interaction in the domain of darkness is the world He wants us to share the good news in. Living, working, shopping, and playing in the world of the domain of darkness gives us ample opportunities to demonstrate kingdom living while also displaying God’s purpose for life. This is the way Jesus taught His disciples how to preach the good news of the kingdom. Listen to what He told them after three years of their traveling and learning from Him. “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (5) The key to this is Jesus wants His disciples to preach the good news as a testimony, which means they must experience what the invisible kingdom brings to their lives before they go preach it. What Jesus wants is for those who are experiencing life in the kingdom to share their experiences with those in the domain of darkness. Does that mean everyone in the kingdom must live perfect lives before they can preach the good news of the kingdom? If it did there would be no one, including the disciples of Jesus who could ever preach the good news. What this looks like as a “testimony” is a person accepts the things we have been talking about for the past 38 lessons by faith and responds with believing actions as they apply to their lives the things Jesus taught His disciples about the kingdom. And when they fail, they apply the forgiveness and grace they have receive from God because of the propitiation of Jesus for their sins. (6) The joy that comes to those whose sins have been forgiven is a tremendous testimony to those in the domain of darkness. For it should cause us to live in a continual state of thankfulness that should inspire us to share the good news with those in the domain of darkness who have no idea what Jesus did for them. It’s your personal transformation that becomes your testimony to anyone who is interested in the good things that are taking place in your life. This is the evolving way of life in the kingdom. We learn, we grow and then we share the good news that is taking place in our own lives. And we are to continually learn, continually grow and continually transform. This is how we become a living testimony of the good news of the kingdom. But how is someone supposed to preach this good news of the kingdom to all the nations? The first thing to realize is wherever you live is exactly where Jesus said to preach the good news of the kingdom. Most likely you are not living anywhere close to where Jesus was when He said this, because He was in Israel in the town of Jerusalem. The second thing to realize is the people He told to go do this were His disciples. So, first ask yourself – are you a disciple, or learner of the things Jesus taught His disciples? Notice, I didn’t ask you if you went to church. Going to church doesn’t mean you are a disciple of Jesus. Churches are full of people who are not dedicated to learning what Jesus taught His disciples so they can become peacemakers themselves. Being a disciple of Jesus is a 24 hour a day adventure; not a one hour every Sunday contribution. If you are a 24-hour a day disciple, then you are already in the right place to be a peacemaker. Well, that’s it for today and once again there is just one thing – If you become a peacemaker, Jesus Himself will proudly call you a “son of God” because you will be doing the very work, He did. Hope to see you next week for part 3. ------- Guitar by Cole Criske 2020 All rights reserved * For great coffee order Cole's coffee here: https://colescoffeeco.com/ [https://colescoffeeco.com/] ------- Produced by Dereck Bradley Contact us at mike@lessonsfromthetent.com [mike@lessonsfromthetent.com]
42 episodios
Comentarios
0Sé la primera persona en comentar
¡Regístrate ahora y únete a la comunidad de Lessons From The Tent!