Embracing God's Kingdom, Power, and Glory Today

We are declaring to ourselves. We are declaring to principalities and powers the power, the kingdom, the glory belongs to God. And friends, we need to be doing that regularly. We need to be declaring over our lives the might of our God. We need to be declaring that we are part of a kingdom that can never be shaken. We need to be reminding ourselves that we share in this wonderful glory of God as he has revealed it so wonderfully in Jesus Christ our Lord. We need to we need to declare it over our families. We need to declare it over our city. We need to declare it over our nation that God is almighty. He's all powerful. He's bringing a kingdom that will last forever and the world will see the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. [00:01:02]

And that's what we're doing when we come to the doxology. We are declaring that the entire universe is in the hands of an almighty, allloving, all powerful, all glorious God. Amen. The doxology was not part of the prayer. It came in 200 years after Jesus died and went to heaven. But the the the doxology actually was inspired by the prayer that David prays before Solomon becomes king. And it's a wonderful, wonderful verse of scripture. 1 Chronicles 29:11. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty. For all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head over all. [00:02:12]

That is someone speaking in the Old Testament under the Old Covenant, but by the Spirit who's grasped the enormity and the magnificence and the majesty of this mighty mighty God. And that I believe was an inspiration of the Holy Spirit to add this prayer of David to the prayer of Jesus from King David to King Jesus. And it just sums it up so wonderful. A final declaration. Yours is the kingdom. Yours is the power. And yours is the glory. And we're going to look at those three right now. And the first two points will be a bit shorter than the than the the third point. And I'm really trusting that God is going to inspire you this morning. That he's going to minister to you in a very powerful way. [00:03:16]

So yours is the kingdom. We are looking at how God's kingdom is absolute. It's an unshakable kingdom. And as Hebrews says, we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken. And we're living in a world where the kingdoms of the world are shaking. And we shouldn't be surprised because God's word says that he will shake everything that is man-made. And so we're living in the very midst of fulfillment of prophecy that the kingdoms of the world will shake, rattle, and roll. But we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken. One day this kingdom will be set up on earth. We will not be little angels playing hops in a cloud. [00:04:17]

Friends, we the redeemed of the Lord with our new glorified bodies just as Jesus has glorified body will reign with him as king of kings on this earth. That's the kingdom. That's what you and I are part of. And that kingdom will be established on this earth forever and ever. But here's the wonderful thing. The fullness of the kingdom belongs to God. And we're declaring that. But by his grace, we who were fallen, we who were rebellious, we who thought we'd do it our way, by grace, he's redeemed us and says, "I want to share my kingdom with you. He has made you and I citizens of this wonderful kingdom." [00:05:18]

Secondly, yours, O Lord, is the power. You are the omnipotent one. You are the almighty one. You are Jehovah El Shadai, the mighty breasted one, the allsufficient God, the all powerful God. But here's the most wonderful thing. When God brought Adam and Eve forth, he gave them this amazing authority to have dominion over the earth, to care for the earth, to reign in life, to have rulership, to be co-regent with him, to co-share his kingship in the earth, and subdue and have dominion. him and be the stewards of this glorious earth. But we know what happened because of man's rebellion. Man lost that power. And to me this is very critical to understand. [00:06:16]

At the fall we were disempowered. We lost our essential identity as people who were made out of love in the image of this wonderful, wonderful God. We lost our identity. But now in Christ, in our redemption, we have been empowered to be all that God has destined us to be. Friends, this is an awesome awesome thing. He has re-empowered us. The image that was marred, the image that was broken has been restored in Jesus. Through Christ, God has redeemed us. As part of that redemption, it's it's part of being empowered for life. And Entright says God's goal is not merely to save people from the world, but to restore them to to be what humans were always intended to be, his imagebearers. [00:07:27]

Friends, when the world looks at us, they should see Jesus. They should see God, the one in whose image we are made. They should see something of his nature, something of his characteristics, something of his love shown in us. Tim Keller says, "The gospel doesn't just free you from sin. It frees you to become what you were meant to be." And you and I are all in this journey. We are in this process of redemption. of having our identity restored to be truly empowered to know who we are in God. Friends, let me tell you that when you know who you are in God, there's nothing more powerful. The devil cannot stop you. No demon can stop you. You are unstoppable as God's child in whom the Lord lives. [00:08:47]

In whom the Holy Spirit resides with all his power and all his might. Friends, grasp that today. You are not just a religious person. You are redeemed by the blood of the lamb. You have been given back your birthight. You have come into that place where you inherit the kingdom of God. And you and I are reflecting that glorious truth to a broken and messed up world. You know, I just think there's there's a whole lot of people that you can think of, but this thing of having identity restored. I was thinking of Paul. Paul, this this faithful Jewish guy, he he says, "I'm a Pharisee of Pharisees." He says, "To the law, blameless." I mean, he is sold out in the old covenant. [00:09:54]

Yes. He kind of knows who he is, what he's doing, where he's going. And when the Messiah comes, he completely rejects him. So much so that he's actually helping those who are persecuting the church, actually standing and watching as they stoned this wonderful man of God, Stephen. But let me tell you, Stephen in his death was probably the greatest witness to us all because there's that moment where as he's being stoned, as he's kneeling, he says he sees heaven open and he sees he sees heaven rejoicing. That must have impacted Saul. And we know what happened on the Damascus road. knocked off his horse by this blinding light. [00:10:54]

And he says, Jesus says, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? He says, who are you, Lord? Jesus says, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting. And that moment, he was born of the spirit. He was redeemed by the grace of God. And he had a whole new identity. Yes. So much of his past as as as a Jew in the old covenant clicked in as the Messiah was revealed to him and his whole identity was changed upside down. Paul, the very one who would persecute the Gentiles, is now the very one spearheading a worldwide mission to save the entire gentile world and fulfill the scripture where Jesus where God said to Israel, you will be a light to the nations. [00:11:55]

Paul found his true destiny and that's why he said for me to live is Christ nothing more nothing less that is the sum total of my life and that is why he was able to say by the grace of God I am what I am a person who's been redeemed who's been cleansed who's been washed who's been given back who's been empowered and He's got his true identity in Christ. Think of Mary Magdalene, the one in whom seven demons were cast out of her. Where was she going? We know where she was going. But when she came in contact with Jesus, she was delivered from those demonic strongholds and she became one of his faithful followers. And amazingly, she's first at the tomb to experience the resurrection. [00:12:56]

She's the first one who gets the privilege of going to the other disciples and saying, "He is risen." You talk about identity. friends from a woman who is bound with demonic power is now the herald of the resurrection and part of a team an apostolic team that is glorifying Jesus in the earth. And so we could go on. The fishermen just weren't a fisherman. Tax collectors despised and rejected in society. New identity. And friends, even as I look across here, you have been given a new identity in Christ. Friends, you need to hear some of the stories in this church. People who have been taken off the street literally who had no identity have come through people in our church and they found Jesus and their lives have been restored and they've been given a new identity in Christ. [00:13:32]

That's friend is what it's all about. Now let me concentrate on the third one. For yours, oh Lord, is the glory. The very last word or second last word to amen is about the glory of God. We are saying all the glory Lord. All the honor is yours. That's our declaration. It's the manifestation. What's the glory? The glory is the manifestation of his power and his person. That's what the glory is. And we'll never get to the end of it. Even in eternity, we will be constantly amazed at the glory of God in the new heaven and the new earth. Constantly. And so throughout scripture, we have tastes of the glory of God. [00:14:07]

In Exodus 40, it says, "Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle and Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it and the glory of the Lord filled the temple." Imagine coming through those doors one day and the glory of God, the shina glory is so powerful, so tangible that you cannot even walk in the manifest presence of God is his glory. Then we have the witness of the apostles. Peter, James, and John had this awesome experience where Jesus takes them to the mount of transfiguration and they before their eyes, the glory of the Lord breaks in upon that mountain and they see Jesus shining in splendor and majesty as he would be in his resurrection. [00:16:05]

What an incredible moment. So, the glory breaks in on a on a mountain with three ordinary guys. And this was Peter's testimony. He says, "Listen guys, for we did not follow cleverly design devised myths." In other words, we didn't follow interesting philosophies of the day when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. Friends, the remarkable thing is that you and I in the spirit are eyewitnesses of his majesty. Listen to what John says. He says in John chapter 1, "And the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory." What did they see? They saw the love of God. [00:17:06]

They saw the power of God. They saw the compassion of God. We've seen his glory. Glory as of the only son from the father full of grace and truth. That's the glory. Now John says we've had all these tastes through history. As Jewish people, we understand that that that our people, our leaders, our fathers have seen and tasted of the glory of God. But now we are looking at the glory in person in the flesh. That's the magnificence of the gospel. We are seeing the glory of God in Christ. We are seeing the magnificence of the splendor of God in the man Jesus. Jesus is the very face of God. He who has seen me says Jesus has seen the father. [00:18:06]

Jesus is like a prism. Let me read this wonderful scripture to you. Hebrews chapter 1:3. He that is Jesus is the radiance of the glory of God. Radiance means an outshining constantly outshining outshining. Jesus is the constant outshining of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature. And he upholds the universe by the word of his power. That's glory. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. So Jesus is like a prism. Not prison, a prism. A prism is like a piece of glass. If we can have that picture up. It's a piece of glass that when you shine white light through the prism, you've got this multitude of color. [00:19:11]

That scripture says to me, Jesus is that prism. When the light of God shines through Jesus, there's a myriad of colors that are unending, showing the magnificence of the nature of the glory of God. Friends, that should thrill you as a Christian that we're not just following a philosophy. We're not just going through rules and regulations and religious stuff. We are relating to the Lord of glory who's come to share the glory of God with the likes of us. What a privilege. Here's the wonder, friends. We've got to share in this. We've been chosen to share in this glory. What no eye has seen, no ears felt has entered into the heart of man. What is in store for those who love the Lord? [00:20:12]

Yes, we get glimpses. We get tastes. We get little pictures of what eternity is going to look like on a new earth with Jesus reigning with us with new glorified bodies, all the crinkles and all the all the artificial limbs just gone and we are dancing again and we are alive like we've never been alive before. My friend Michael Eaton said to his kids one day, "Listen, when daddy dies, don't say daddy's dead. Say daddy is more alive than he's ever been." That is the Christian gospel, friends. That is what you and I have been invited into. This glorious life in God where we share in the glory. We've been drawn into his glory. [00:21:10]

Listen to John 17. Jesus praying as he goes to the cross. He says, "The glory that you have given me," speaking to his father, "I have given to them." That's awesome. That they may be one even as we are one. I in them and you in me. That they may become perfectly one. So that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. You loved them like you love me. A perfect perfect love. Yes, God loves you perfectly. Let it sink in because that is the thing that will give you assurance. That is the thing that'll give you liberty where you can dance before the Lord in freedom without any condemnation because you by Christ have been drawn into this place of glory. [00:22:00]

Now Paul says, and I probably touched on this in one of my previous preaches on the Lord's Prayer, but it's so important for us to grasp this. Paul says that we are growing into one degree of glory to the next. Listen to this wonderful scripture. 2 Corinthians 3:17. Now the Lord is the spirit and where the spirit of the Lord is there is freedom. And we all with unveiled face. You remember Satan blinds the minds of unbelievers. When you come to Christ in repentance, boom, the veil's lifted. Now you see, now you see reality. Now you see the light. And he says, "And we all with unveiled face," beholding, friends, this word beholding is so important. [00:23:04]

It means intently and intensely gazing into the glory. like you when you got that online catalog, how you gaze intently into that new motorbike or that new motor car and ladies, okay, gazing intently with great desire. But he says, "And we all with unveiled face beholding the glory of the Lord are being transformed present continuous sense." Transformed metamorphio where we get the word metamorphosis. You've been changed from a worm into a butterfly. How can you compare a worm, Jacob? view worm says the Bible. Imagine being changed from a worm to a glorious colorful butterfly who's now got freedom to fly wherever it wants to. Transformation by the Holy Spirit. [00:24:02]

We are being transformed into the same image, the image of Christ, from one degree of glory to the next. And I've pondered this in the last week. What is this one degree? I'll tell you what it is. Paul is very exact in his speaking. He is saying that our growth in Christ, our transformation is literally degree upon degree upon degree. It's like the temperature on on the air con. The office is getting too hot. You say, "Guys, can we just take it down three degrees? Just three and I'll be happy." It's incremental. It's discernable. It's felt. Take it down three notches. Great. No, it's too cold in here. Just put it three notches up. Degree. One degree. Another degree. [00:25:00]

Paul says when you gaze at Jesus, when you look intently in his face, you are being transformed constantly. One degree, another degree. Friends, if you've been a Christian more than a year, you should be piping hot. Yes. Full throttle. As we behold Christ, as we look intently upon Christ, we are being transformed. The image in which we were created, that was marred through sin, that was blocked out like a misty, foggy window, is getting clearer and clearer and clearer. For Paul, the growth of transformation in our lives was so measurable, it's discernable. How do we measure those degrees? How do we know that we are actually progressing in this walk of faith? [00:25:57]

Well, it's quite simple. Are you more Christlike today than you were a year ago, six months ago, six weeks ago? Is the fruit of the spirit evident in your life? Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, self-control. That's measurable. intimacy with Jesus. How intimate are you with Jesus? Because let me tell you that when you gaze upon this glorious face, intimacy becomes part of your life. Taste, taste and see that the Lord is good. Part of the fruit is a deeper revelation of Jesus. Friends, I I promise you, Jesus wants nothing more than for you and I to have a deeper revelation of who he is. And believe me, it's unending. [00:27:00]

Friends, you will never get to a place say, "I've got it at last." No, no, no, no, no. Not even in in eternity. We will as we gaze upon him in eternity, it will just be this ongoing amazement at this glorious, glorious God in the face of Jesus Christ. Looking into his face. Let's get practical. What does it mean to look into his face? It's looking into his person. It's engaging with him. It's connecting with God in such a way that we are actually looking at his glory. Here's a wonderful scripture. 2 Corinthians 4:6. For God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus." [00:27:56]

If you want to experience the glory of God, it's in the face of Jesus as you worship, as you meditate, as you read his word. So the question is, how do you practically look into the face of Jesus? Because it can it can it can sound so spiritual. I sought the face of the Lord. Now that for many that's just become a Christian slogan. But friends, I'm telling you, God wants us to look intently into the face of Jesus. But you ask, how do I practically do that? Let me tell you, and this is a key, and we keep missing it. When we engage in the word of God, you must understand the word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword, dividing between soul and spirit, joint and marrow, and discerning the intentions of the heart. [00:28:56]

It's powerful. Your word is a light unto my feet. Friends, it's powerful. We know that. But if you want to see the face of Jesus, you need to get into the scriptures. Because when you get into the scriptures, the Holy Spirit, Jesus said, will guide you into all truth. He will teach you all things. And you just want a nice little download from heaven. You just want to watch a few YouTube clips and you've got your download. Friends, God wants you and me to be sold out on the word of God. It's part of our discipline because the devil will do everything to prevent you from spending time in God's word. And I'm not talking about a few little nice scriptures for the day, a nice little WhatsApp message that you get from some friend every morning. [00:29:56]

I'm talking about engaging in the word and trusting the Holy Spirit to light up those pages that you'll see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. The Bible to me is that prism because when the light of the Holy Spirit shines on those pages and they come alive, when you finally get a revelation on this passage, life takes place. Boom. One one more degree. Hallelujah. One more degree. Closer to what God wants for me. Amen. That's the reality. I must try and close this. That's why Paul prays to the Ephesians. He says, "You know what? I'm praying for you guys. You've seen revival, massive revival." He said, "But this is what I'm praying for you. That the eyes of your heart will be enlightened. That they will have a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Jesus." [00:30:56]

Friends, that's your that's your inheritance. To have a revelation, a constant ongoing living revelation of Jesus. That's true faith. And when we catch glimpses of the glory, we're transformed. It's this ongoing dynamic. This is a faith exercise. And as we do that by faith, we are being changed from one degree of glory to the next. It's this ongoing process. So the more we behold, the more we become like Jesus. And so when we say for yours is the glory, we are admitting that we can only find true glory when we look at your glory. When we start looking at Jesus, we are being changed from that one degree to the next. [00:31:56]

And friends, here's the best news ever again from John from his letter. Beloved, we are God's children now. Identity and what we will be has not yet appeared. In other words, we haven't received the fullness of it yet. But we know that when he Jesus appears, we shall be like him. When you look at the gloried the the the Lord in resurrection, life and power, John says, "Guess what? We're going to be like that. New bodies and a perfect identity." He says, "But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him because we shall see him as he is in all his glory." [00:32:56]

So in closing friends, when we have been born from above, when we've been born of the spirit, God's glorious kingdom breaks in upon us and draws us into kingdom living. We are in the kingdom and the kingdom is in us because the king lives in us. We've been empowered by the Holy Spirit to be all that God intended us to be. And the more we engage with Jesus, the more we behold Jesus, the more we experience the kingdom, the power, and the glory of God in our lives. Amen. [00:33:56]