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The Invisible Kingdom
August 14, 2016
The kingdom of God is not visible to man. It is not a worldly kingdom and has no specific boundaries -- it extends to wherever there are believers in God and Christ. There is no earthly city that is its capital. We cannot physically see it, but we see it by faith.. - Bernie Parsons
The Invisible Kingdom
a sermon by Bernie Parsons
Presented to the Globe church of Christ on 08-14-2016
We have discussed the kingdom of God, what it is, when it came and how
to enter it. In this lesson, I want to re-examine the fact that the
kingdom of God is invisible when it comes to a material existence.
The kingdom of God is spiritual, with a spiritual founder and a
spiritual leader. Jesus Christ is the spiritual head and the baptized
believers are the spiritual body.
1 Timothy 1:17 "Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only
wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen."
1 John 4:12 "No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another,
God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us."
John 1:18 "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son,
which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him."
1 Timothy 6:13 "I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth
all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed
a good confession;
14 That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the
appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:
15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only
Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;
16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can
approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and
power everlasting. Amen."
We ignore God, His handiwork, and His teachings and commandments to our
own peril.
Romans 1:20 "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the
world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made,
even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:"
Our battles are spiritual battles, and we wage war against wickedness,
even in high places.
Ephesians 6:12 "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of
this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
Matthew 10:18 "And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my
sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.
We are taken from a world of sin and delivered into a spiritual world
while in this life.
Colossians 1:12 "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet
to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated
us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of
sins:
15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every
creature:
16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are
in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions,
or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for
him:"
2 Corinthians 4:15 "For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant
grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of
God.
16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet
the inward man is renewed day by day.
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a
far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things
which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the
things which are not seen are eternal."
The city God is spiritual, that New Jerusalem in which we dwell – the
bride, the church of Christ.
Revelation 21:9 "And there came unto me one of the seven angels which
had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me,
saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain,
and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of
heaven from God,"
Revelation 21:22 "And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty
and the Lamb are the temple of it.
23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in
it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light
thereof.
24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of
it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall
be no night there.
26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth,
neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which
are written in the Lamb's book of life."
For both time and emphasis, I left out the verses above that seem to
indicate physicality.
We do not presently see all of that for which we hope, yet we work
toward that unseen reward.
Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the
evidence of things not seen.
2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of
God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do
appear."
1 Peter 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a
lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not
away, reserved in heaven for you,
5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to
be revealed in the last time.
6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye
are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold
that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise
and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet
believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls."
Faith in our unseen God and unseen reward drive us to walk by that
faith.
2 Corinthians 5:6 "Therefore we are always confident, knowing that,
whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:
7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the
body, and to be present with the Lord.
9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be
accepted of him.
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every
one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath
done, whether it be good or bad.
11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are
made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your
consciences."
We work as followers of Christ toward the judgment and reward promised
by our God.
