The Kingdom of God: Introduction

Below is but a small measure of revelation that my father had received from the Lord. I hope this will be a blessing to you. All that is written below are the words of my father.

The Kingdom of God: Introduction 

In loving memory of my father
Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett
July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023

No man can present an adequate message about the kingdom of God in one session and not in any number of sessions. This message will be the first of 7 or 8 messages on the kingdom of God. Today we hope to introduce this topic as an overview and to stir you up to seek not only the truth about the kingdom of God but to experience and walk in the reality of God's Kingdom.

Jesus said, "Seek and ye shall find." In what we present in this and all messages, I fully realize that in no way do I have the final word or the fullness of revelation. Rather, my intention in this and all messages is to encourage us, as God's people, to seek the Lord Himself for the true vision of His Kingdom as our purpose in life. Let us look at a few scriptures and a few thoughts that might help us to come to a better understanding of the kingdom of God.

The first mention of the word, "kingdom," is in Genesis 10:10, when Nimrod founded the kingdom of Babel, or Babylon, which means "confusion."

The word "kingdom" in the Greek is basileia, which means "the realm in which a sovereign king rules." A kingdom is the domain of a king. Every kingdom must have a king. Every king must have a domain, an area over which the king has sovereign, absolute dominion. The existence of a kingdom implies that the king has entities in his kingdom which are subject to the power, rule, authority, and headship of the king. That implies that the king must make known his rules or his will to his subjects. Further, every kingdom has principles (or laws) that govern the kingdom. A principle is that which is built within a person that governs his life or behavior or course of action.

If we were to ask 10 people about the kingdom of God we might get 9 different explanations. It is almost impossible for us to understand the things of the Spirit with our natural minds. In essence, the Kingdom of God is where the will of God is always done. Where is God's will always done? only in one place ... only in Christ Jesus. In Matthew 7:21, Jesus said, 

"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven."

Jesus said to His disciples, in Matthew 6:33, 

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

Most likely every true believer can quote that verse. But the question is, what does that really mean? What does it mean to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness? Are those two things or one? Further, what is the kingdom of God that we should be seeking?And is the gospel that we are to preach the same as the kingdom of God?

3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

1 Timothy 2:3-4

Verse 4 does not say that all men will be saved; that gets us into the heresy of universal reconciliation; rather it says that God desires that all men be saved, but many will not so choose. That verse says that it is the will of God for all who are saved to become thoroughly acquainted with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. May the Lord continue to bless all who proclaim the good news of salvation. But that is not the end of Verse 4. There is an "and" in that Verse. God desires all who accept salvation to receive a further revelation of His purpose, namely the knowledge of the truth. Pilate looked Truth straight in the eye and asked, "What is truth?" Jesus is the Truth! Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life."

Christ's kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). One day, however, the Kingdom of God will be manifest on the earth (Isaiah 35:1), and Jesus Christ will rule over the kingdom from David's throne (Isaiah 9:7). The rule and reign of God comprises everything from eternity past through eternity future. That includes all of time and space. When Jesus died and rose again and ascended into heaven the kingdom which had always been real in the unseen realm now became available to all men. 

24 Then cometh the end, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.

25 For He must reign, till He hath put all enemies under His feet.

26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

27 For He hath put all things under His feet. But when He saith, all things are put under Him, it is manifest that He is excepted, which did put all things under Him.

28 And when all things shall be subdued unto Him, then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him that put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.

1 Corinthians 15:24-28

There is no explicit definition of the kingdom of God in the gospels. How do you define the infinite, universal, sovereign kingdom of God in one sentence? But the kingdom of God is the domain of God or where God rules and reigns. It would exhaust all of the books in the world to speak of everything pertaining to the kingdom of God. Therefore what we present is simply a brief outline. But please keep in mind that the kingdom of God is much more than something to be talked about, defined, analyzed, and understood. We must experience the kingdom of God.

Jesus rarely talked about the "hereafter" or the "sweet bye-and-bye;" He talked about the "now." Jesus is not the great "I will be." He is the great I AM.

And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen. John 21:25

The kingdom of God is not a natural-level kingdom. It is in the realm of the Spirit. The closest definition of the kingdom of God is, "The kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost" (Romans 14:17). Jesus told us to pray,

"Thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10). 

We must emphasize that, "Thine is the kingdom." It is God's kingdom, not yours or mine and not ours. 

The gospel or good news of the kingdom of God is the central message of the New Testament. The words kingdom of God consistently refers to the spiritual rule of Christ in 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.

However, it is also true that the kingdom of God is the central message of the Old Testament. Over the centuries the fullness of what Jesus proclaimed and the life and vitality expressed by the early church as recorded in the Book of Acts have been buried under a mountain of man-made traditions.

Almost all of the New Testament is dedicated to instructions and qualifications for entrance into the kingdom of God, rather than to salvation. We will look in great detail in later messages about those qualifications for entering the kingdom of God. For now, let us remember what Jesus told Nicodemus, in John, Chapter 3. "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God; and unless a man be born of water and born of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." 

We shared several messages ago that being born again is only the first step in salvation, which is a process that continues until Jesus returns to earth. Initial salvation (or being born again) and the kingdom of God are two different subjects ... separate and distinct from one another. Even the disciples, before Pentecost, had difficulty separating salvation and the Kingdom. Being born again is not the same as walking in the Kingdom of God. That truth is easily seen when we look at the Israelites who were delivered out of Egypt. At least a million Israelites were born again, in type, but only two adults over the age of 20, Joshua and Caleb, actually entered the Promised Land, which speaks of the Kingdom of God. Jesus never preached a "save-me" Gospel. Jesus, as well as Paul and all of the early disciples, preached the Kingdom of God. The first message that Jesus preached was, "Repent, for the Kingdom of God/heaven is at hand."

Salvation is absolutely FREE, with no strings attached. That is our starting point in our relationship with Him. But it is only a starting point. There is much more to follow, and it can become difficult; kingdom stature is very costly. It costs us our self-life. But the good news is that in exchange we get His life, the life of the risen Christ!

The kingdom of God is the strait (difficult) gate and the narrow way that comparatively few souls will find. 

Luke 16:16, "The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it."

We are not required to press into salvation. It is FREE for the asking, receiving, and accepting.

The Kingdom of God is a theocracy instead of a democracy or a monarchy, and the prospective inhabitants must undergo a rigid scrutiny before they are granted entry. It is set up by Jesus Himself. Democracy may be the best form of government known to natural man, but sooner or later the kingdoms of this world must become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ. It is nothing like any government we see in the world today. It is something that each individual Christian has or does not have, depending entirely upon what the Lord sees in their life. We either meet His requirements, or we don't.

The word "kingdom" is translated from a word that properly means "royalty." Royalty seems to convey the same thought that the overcomers are a people within a people, and that the difference is a difference in the heart condition of those involved. The degree of lordship is a big part of the criteria denoting the difference between Christian and Christian. Every mature man of God that I have ever met will agree that there is a church within a church. Jesus said that He would build His church. Scripturally, historically, and experientially, the Church that Jesus is building has existed within the church that man tries to build. That points out the need, as stated in Revelation 18:4 to "come out of her, My people."

We have no certain way to detect the degree of Lordship Jesus occupies in the heart of our self or our Christian friends. We Christians learn the proper Christian language very quickly. We also learn very quickly how to put on our Christian hats or masks when in the company of other professing Christians. But there are no questions in the mind of God. He knows precisely, at all times, the exact condition of our heart and spirit. No one can hide anything from God.

The word ROYALTY seems to "put a handle" on the subject of the kingdom of GOD, and helps to understand that the kingdom is in our midst today. Some Christians are in it, while other Christians are still looking for it and hoping for it to happen. 

The Kingdom of GOD is NOW, presently both in heaven and within those who are making Jesus the LORD of their lives ... the royalty of GOD.

There are two aspects to the kingdom of God. There is a present reality of the kingdom that we are called to walk in and to abide by the principles as set forth by the King (Luke 17:20-21). There is also a future establishing of the kingdom of God on earth. This is the literal reign of Christ on earth (Luke 22:28-30). That future aspect of the kingdom contains a qualified people ... a people who have qualified by their decisions and actions ... that subset of believers who have denied themselves, taken up their cross, and followed Him ... a people who overcome and who follow the Lamb wherever He goes (Revelation 2:26-27 and 20:4-6).

Indeed, the kingdom of God is eternal. It spells destruction for the wicked and joy and endless life for the true followers of Christ. The kingdom would not be inaugurated with spectacle or splendor; there would be no great and magnificent leader who staked out a geographical claim and routed the Romans; rather, the kingdom would come silently and unseen, much as leaven works in a batch of dough (Matthew 13:33). In fact, Jesus said the kingdom had already begun, right under the Pharisees' noses.

Broadly speaking, the kingdom of God is the rule of an eternal, sovereign God over all of the universe. The Lord is the Sovereign of the universe, and so in that sense His kingdom is universal (1 Timothy 6:15). "The LORD has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all" (Psalm 103:19). 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 a real sense, the kingdom of God incorporates everything that is.

Isaiah 45:5-7, "I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things."

When the Lord sovereignly apprehended Saul of Tarsus, we read in Acts 9:3-5, "And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks."

Likewise it is hard for you and me and any man to kick against the pricks today. The Lord is going to have what He wants, with or without you and with or without me. Two different verses in Acts (Chapter 5 and 23) imply that if we fight against God, we will always lose. Without any doubt, the central, eternal, and ultimate aim or goal of all of history is the Kingdom of God. The very heart of Jesus' ministry was and is preparing a kingdom for His Father.

Most of us are aware that the Gospel according to Matthew speaks primarily of the kingdom of heaven whereas Mark and Luke speak exclusively about the Kingdom of God. Some people have tried to explain that the two phrases mean different things. Scripture seems to indicate that the two phrases are the same. Before proceeding we want to say unequivocally that it is a total waste of time for Christians to argue whether they mean the same or different things. Is it going to make a difference in your life to know whether they are the same or different? Nevertheless we want to present for your consideration a few things concerning these two terms.

Few Christians would doubt that the same King is over both the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven. God's kingdom is ruled by God.

The phrase, "kingdom of heaven," occurs 32 times in the Gospel according to Matthew but nowhere else in the Bible. The phrase, "kingdom of God," occurs 69 times in the Bible, five of which are also in the Book of Matthew. If we compare the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, we will find that Matthew's "kingdom of heaven" almost exactly parallels Mark's and Luke's "kingdom of God." So there is little doubt in my mind that they are different terms describing the same thing. For example,

"the kingdom of Heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4:17)  

"the kingdom of God is at hand" (Mark

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven" (Matthew 5:3) 

"Blessed are the poor, for yours is the kingdom of God" (Luke 6:20)

"Among those born of women there has not risen a greater than John the Baptist, notwithstanding he who is least in the kingdom of Heaven is greater than him." (Matthew 11:11)

 

"Among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist, but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than him." (Luke 7:28)

"the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 13:11)

 

"the mysteries of the kingdom of God" (Mark 4:11; Luke 8:10)

"the kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed" (Matthew 13:31) 

"the kingdom of God...is like a grain of mustard seed" (Mark 4:30-31 ; Luke 13:18-19)

"The kingdom of heaven is like leaven" (Matthew 13:33) 

"the kingdom of God...is like leaven" (Luke 13:20)

"Except you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3-4) 

"Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein" (Mark 10:15)

"Allow little children, and do not forbid them to come to me, for of such is the kingdom of Heaven." (Matthew 19:14) 

"Allow the little children to come to me, and do not forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of God." (Mark 10:14)

"a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of Heaven" (Matthew 19:23) 

"How hardly shall they who have riches enter into the kingdom of God!" (Luke 18:24)

In other words, those 9 comparisons indicate that the "kingdom of God" = "kingdom of Heaven." 

Moreover, "heaven" is frequently put for "God," Who dwells there. 

"They set their mouth against the heavens" (Psalm73:9); 

i.e., against God, Who dwells there. Some other examples are, 

And for this cause Hezekiah the king, and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz, prayed and cried to heaven. 2 Chronicles 32:20

John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. John 3:27

Speaking to the rich young ruler, Jesus used "kingdom of heaven" and "kingdom of God" interchangeably. 

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 19:23). 

In the very next verse, Verse 24, Jesus proclaimed, 

"Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." 

Jesus seems to make no distinction between the two terms.

What is the conclusion of this terminology difference? The conclusion is that we should all be on our faces and praying for His kingdom to come and to be seeking the King of that kingdom above everything else in life and on earth.

God was ruling in the hearts of some people, and the King Himself was standing among them, although the Pharisees were oblivious to that fact. Jesus was telling the Pharisees that He brought the kingdom of God to earth. Jesus' presence in their midst gave them a taste of the kingdom life, as attested by the miracles that Jesus performed.

The successful life of a Christian is NOT a set of rules and regulations ..."do's and don'ts" but a life of following the teaching and leading of the Holy Ghost in His work of defining the will of God to each individual, as the Lord pleases. It is the word of GOD (the seed) that produces the increase in our lives. It performs the miracle of turning dust into fruit.

That is a quick overview of the kingdom of God. But the real issue is ... the most important question is ... have you been born again? If so, are you content to just go to heaven one day?

And along with that decision on your part are you content just to have a nice time on earth, enjoy all of the world's pleasures, believing that you will one day go to heaven? Or do you want to walk with God daily in the kingdom of God here on earth and one day rule and reign with Him for 1000 years? Each person must decide for himself. We have a choice. Many are called but few are chosen. The reason few are chosen is because few choose the Lord's way. We humans like to think that we should use our minds to determine what is best for us. But only God knows what is best for each one of us. And walking with Him in the kingdom of God is the very best possible path.

In our next message we will look at the absolute truth that "Thine is the kingdom." Until next time, grace, mercy, and peace to all those who are looking for Him.