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Out Of the Kingdom
April 16, 2017
Once in the kingdom of God, it is possible to removed, contrary to what some religions teach. God is particular about who He allows into the kingdom, and will readily remove those who do not conform!. - Bernie Parsons
by Bernie Parsons
Presented to Globe church of Christ on 04-16-2017
Presented to Load church of Christ on 04-23-2017
We have spent time in our recent studies examining the spiritual nature
of the kingdom of God, which is also known as the kingdom of heaven. We
have talked about how the called out – the church – abides within the
kingdom of God and stands to inherit the kingdom in eternity.
In this study, I wish to talk about those who are out of the kingdom.
Matthew 8:11 "And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and
west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the
kingdom of heaven.
12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer
darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
I discussed how that the kingdom is spiritual. If so, how can anyone be
cast out? Wouldn’t it consist solely of those who want to be there and
have taken steps to be there?
First of all, the nation of Israel, and later Judaea, were referred to
as the kingdom of God.
Leviticus 26:11 "And I will set my tabernacle among you: and my soul
shall not abhor you.
12 And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my
people.
13 I am the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of
Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bands
of your yoke, and made you go upright."
2 Chronicles 6:4 "And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who
hath with his hands fulfilled that which he spake with his mouth to my
father David, saying,
5 Since the day that I brought forth my people out of the land of Egypt
I chose no city among all the tribes of Israel to build an house in,
that my name might be there; neither chose I any man to be a ruler over
my people Israel:
6 But I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be there; and have
chosen David to be over my people Israel."
The Pharisees were warned that the kingdom would be taken from them.
Matthew 21:42 "Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the
scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become
the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous
in our eyes?
43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you,
and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on
whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they
perceived that he spake of them."
The apostles wondered when the kingdom might be restored to Israel.
Acts 1:6 "When they therefore were come together, they asked of him,
saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to
Israel?
7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the
seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power."
Matthew 24:34 "Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass,
till all these things be fulfilled.
35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of
heaven, but my Father only."
But Jesus told them that their house was left desolate.
Matthew 23:32 "Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation
of hell?
34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and
scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them
shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to
city:
35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth,
from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of
Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this
generation.
37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest
them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy
children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings,
and ye would not!
38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall
say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord."
Jerusalem fell to Roman general Titus Flavius, later Emperor, in AD 70.
Thus was the total transition from the old kingdom of Judah to the new
spiritual kingdom of God.
Luke 13:28 “There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall
see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom
of God, and you yourselves thrust out.
29 And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the
north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.
30 And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first
which shall be last."
Being citizens of the kingdom depends upon obedience to the will of God.
Romans 11:17 "And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being
a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest
of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not
the root, but the root thee.
19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be
graffed in.
20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by
faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also
spare not thee.
22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which
fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his
goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed
in: for God is able to graff them in again.
24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature,
and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much
more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their
own olive tree?"
God imputes righteousness after repentance and imparts death to those
who turn back to sin.
Ezekiel 33:13 "When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely
live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his
righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he
hath committed, he shall die for it.
14 Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn
from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right;
15 If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk
in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely
live, he shall not die.
16 None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him:
he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.
17 Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal:
but as for them, their way is not equal.
18 When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth
iniquity, he shall even die thereby.
19 But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is
lawful and right, he shall live thereby.
20 Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of Israel, I
will judge you every one after his ways."
1 Corinthians 10:9 "Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of
them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed
of the destroyer.
11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are
written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall."
