Enjoy the Bible Study and be blessed!
Chris
1. The Kingdom of God
God sent Jesus to come to earth 2000 years ago to die on the Cross on our behalf, and to rise again on our behalf.
Not to forgive us of our sins that we might go to heaven, but that the way might be open for heaven to come into us:
Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (NKJV)
Luke 17:21b …For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.” (NKJV)
God was already in their midst – the Kingdom is manifested in the presence of God.
John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. (NKJV)
Heaven is knowing the Lord, because it is in knowing Him that we have eternal life!
Heaven came down to earth and with Jesus and after His resurrection at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came down into the hearts of men. The Kingdom of God IS here!
John 17:22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: (NKJV)
And He gave His glory to us – His Spirit, His goodness.
If you believe in Jesus, today God is in you, Heaven is in us. The glory is already in us!
2 Corinthians 13:5 …Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? (NKJV)
It must hurt the heart of God so much to see His children lost. It must also hurt His heart when we His children fail to grow up to the potential He has given us.
2. Despising the Rights
Birthrights and blessings were BIG BUSINESS in those days.
Genesis 25:29 Now Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field, and he was weary. 30 And Esau said to Jacob, “Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary.” Therefore his name was called Edom. 31 But Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright as of this day.” 32 And Esau said, “Look, I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me?” 33 Then Jacob said, “Swear to me as of this day.” So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright. (NKJV)
What is your birthright today? Today, He is in us. The glory is in you and many among us despise this birthright also.
Must not be deceived from our birthright – God is sad to see the fallen nature of His creation, even after the work was finished.
A few of these rights:
2 Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (NKJV)
Romans 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (NKJV)
3. It’s a Right Because of the Covenant
God blessed Abraham because of the covenant He cut with him:
Genesis 17:7 And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. (NKJV)
God blessed Isaac because of Abraham.
Genesis 26:24 And the Lord appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for My servant Abraham’s sake.” (NKJV)
And this is was after God had already blessed him so greatly in the midst of a famine!
1 Samuel 17:45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. (NKJV)
David understood well his covenant position. Not his ability but his God.
4. We have a FAR Better Covenant
God blesses us because of a much better covenant cut not with the blood of bulls and goats, but with the blood of His own Son!
Hebrews 7:22 by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant. (NKJV)
2 Corinthians 3: 7 But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. (NKJV)
5. So What’s Your Stew?
Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (NKJV)
What do we give in exchange? In what way are we like Esau selling his birthright?
Asked another way – what do you THINK (Prov 23:7) you need to make you happy:
- Perceived standing with God (religion?)
- Social standing (religion?)
- Relationships
- Wealth
- Pleasure
- Career/business “success”
- Affirmation/approval of loved ones, society, community
- Power
- Control of life
- Image
- Etc.
Not that all of these are wrong in themselves, but if we serve them, like Esau, we give up something that God meant for us when we THINK we need something to make us happy (or will die without it). We use this to fill a hole that God meant to fill. We don’t need these to make us whole.
Outside of the Word of God, all is death.
We become who we worship. We are controlled by what we desire.
6. It’s By Realising, By Being
I AM NOT TELLING YOU TO DO SOMETHING. I am telling you to realise something. If we don’t do it from love, it PROFITS NOTHING.
1 Corinthians 13:2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. (NKJV)
Realise that finished work of Christ in you. Love came to you. Realise the glory that dwells in you. Realise that Heaven has come to you already and that eternal life began the moment you came to know the Lord.
2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. (NKJV)
Identify yourself only with God’s word. You are who He says you are. Righteous, holy, loved.
Only one thing is needed
Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (NKJV)
7. Like Paul Said…
Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (NKJV)
By love, we have faith to die to ourselves. The more we realise His love for us, the more we can have the faith to step out of the boat.
We are not here to take up space, help the plants with CO2 while here and become fertilizer when we go to heaven. We have a God who loves us and wants the very best for us. Just like our own children, He doesn't want us living below potential.
Ephesians 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, (NKJV)
God plans for you are good, not evil. Plans as a part of His Kingdom, that through you He might reach out to a lost and dying world that His Son died for.
8. Only One Thing…
We need to do the one thing that is needful,
Luke 10:41 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (NKJV)
Be sold out to Him - we live out our lives increasingly actualizing who we were meant to be. Ironically it is when you do that you see true happiness in life.
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