Embracing the Transformative Power of the Kingdom

Devotional

Day 1: Living Under God's Rule

The Kingdom of God is a new way of life under God's rule. It is not merely about salvation or forgiveness but about a complete transformation of our nature and mindset. Jesus' message was revolutionary, especially to the Jews under Roman rule, as it promised a new kind of kingdom—one that was spiritual and not just political or material. This kingdom is available to us now, bringing with it the blessings and life of God's rule. To enter this kingdom, we must understand and embrace this new way of life, allowing God's rule to permeate every aspect of our existence. [15:37]

Matthew 6:33 (ESV): "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

Reflection: What areas of your life are you still holding onto control? How can you begin to surrender these areas to God's rule today?

Day 2: Embracing Kingdom Qualities

The Beatitudes describe the qualities and attitudes of Kingdom citizens. These qualities, such as being poor in spirit, mourning, and hungering for righteousness, are counter-cultural and highlight our need for God. They are not just rules to follow but characteristics that reflect a life transformed by the Kingdom of God. Embracing these qualities means allowing God to shape our character and attitudes, making us more like Jesus. This transformation is a testament to the reality of God's kingdom in our lives. [39:44]

Matthew 5:3-6 (ESV): "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."

Reflection: Which Beatitude do you find most challenging to live out? How can you ask God to help you grow in this area?

Day 3: Transformation Through Relationship with Jesus

The Kingdom of God is not about behavior modification but about a relationship with Jesus. Our actions and attitudes should flow from our devotion to Him. This relationship transforms us from the inside out, enabling us to live according to the values of the Kingdom. It is through this intimate relationship with Jesus that we experience true transformation, becoming more like Him in our thoughts, words, and actions. [48:43]

John 15:4-5 (ESV): "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."

Reflection: How can you deepen your relationship with Jesus today? What specific steps can you take to abide in Him more fully?

Day 4: Reflecting Inner Transformation Through Actions

As Kingdom citizens, our actions should reflect our inner transformation. We are called to be salt and light, influencing the world positively and pointing others to Jesus. Our good works should glorify God and demonstrate the reality of the Kingdom of God in our lives. This outward expression of our faith is a powerful testimony to the transformative power of God's kingdom within us. [51:02]

Matthew 5:14-16 (ESV): "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

Reflection: What is one way you can be salt and light in your community this week? How can your actions point others to Jesus?

Day 5: Entering the Kingdom Through Repentance

To enter the Kingdom of God, we must repent, which means changing our mindset and aligning our lives with God's rule. This involves recognizing that we cannot earn our way into the Kingdom through our efforts but must rely on Jesus and His grace. Repentance is a turning away from our old ways and a turning towards God, allowing His rule to transform our lives. [55:30]

Acts 3:19-20 (ESV): "Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus."

Reflection: Is there an area of your life where you need to repent and turn back to God? How can you seek His grace and forgiveness today?

Sermon Summary

### Summary

Today, we began a new series on the Sermon on the Mount, focusing on the Kingdom of God as presented by Jesus. We started by reading Matthew 4:23-25, where Jesus is depicted teaching, preaching, and healing throughout Galilee, drawing great multitudes. This sets the stage for understanding the Kingdom of God, which is the central theme of Jesus' teachings. The Kingdom of God is not just about salvation or forgiveness but about a new way of life under God's rule. Jesus' message was revolutionary, especially to the Jews under Roman rule, as it promised a new kind of kingdom—one that was spiritual and not just political or material.

We explored the concept of the Kingdom of God through Jesus' teachings and miracles, which demonstrated the reality of God's rule and reign. Jesus' first sermon, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand," underscores the need for a change in mindset to understand and enter this kingdom. The Kingdom of God requires a new nature, a transformation that comes from following Jesus and adopting His teachings.

We then delved into the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12), which describe the qualities and attitudes of Kingdom citizens. These qualities—such as being poor in spirit, mourning, meekness, and hungering for righteousness—are counter-cultural and highlight our need for God. They are not just rules to follow but characteristics that reflect a life transformed by the Kingdom of God.

Finally, we discussed the movement of the Kingdom, emphasizing that our actions should reflect our inner transformation. As salt and light, we are to influence the world positively and point others to Jesus. Our good works should glorify God and demonstrate the reality of the Kingdom of God in our lives.

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Key Takeaways

1. 4vZSZk&t=937s'>[15:37]
2. The Beatitudes Reflect Kingdom Qualities: The Beatitudes describe the qualities and attitudes of Kingdom citizens. These qualities, such as being poor in spirit, mourning, and hungering for righteousness, are counter-cultural and highlight our need for God. They are not just rules to follow but characteristics that reflect a life transformed by the Kingdom of God.

3. Transformation Through Relationship with Jesus: The Kingdom of God is not about behavior modification but about a relationship with Jesus. Our actions and attitudes should flow from our devotion to Him. This relationship transforms us from the inside out, enabling us to live according to the values of the Kingdom.

4. Our Actions Reflect Our Inner Life: As Kingdom citizens, our actions should reflect our inner transformation. We are called to be salt and light, influencing the world positively and pointing others to Jesus. Our good works should glorify God and demonstrate the reality of the Kingdom of God in our lives.

5. Entering the Kingdom Requires Repentance: To enter the Kingdom of God, we must repent, which means changing our mindset and aligning our lives with God's rule. This involves recognizing that we cannot earn our way into the Kingdom through our efforts but must rely on Jesus and His grace.

### [15:37]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[08:33] - Reading Matthew 4:23-25
[09:43] - Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount
[12:16] - Jesus' Ministry and the Kingdom of God
[13:24] - The Reality of Miracles
[14:51] - The Good News of the Kingdom
[16:22] - Repent for the Kingdom is Here
[17:11] - Understanding the Kingdom of Heaven
[18:05] - The Kingdom's Spiritual Nature
[19:52] - Misunderstanding the Kingdom
[20:46] - The Kingdom is Within You
[21:36] - Living in the Kingdom
[22:26] - The Kingdom is Not About Behavior Modification
[23:12] - The Need for a New Nature
[24:02] - Learning the Language of the Kingdom
[25:25] - Jesus' Incarnation and Teaching
[26:10] - Misconceptions About the Kingdom
[27:58] - The Hope of the Spirit
[28:47] - The Only Way to the Kingdom
[29:24] - Structure of the Sermon on the Mount
[30:09] - The Beatitudes: General Introduction
[31:34] - Jesus' Audience and Teaching
[32:36] - Living the Message
[33:30] - Point 1: Receive the Message of the Kingdom
[34:09] - Jesus as the New Moses
[35:19] - Teaching the Disciples
[36:10] - Invitation to the Crowds
[37:06] - The Kingdom is Not About Rules
[37:55] - Life Together with God
[38:37] - The Message of the Kingdom
[39:10] - Point 2: Embrace the Mindset of the Kingdom
[39:44] - The Beatitudes Explained
[41:10] - The Joy of the Kingdom
[41:55] - Counter-Cultural Qualities
[42:24] - Hungering for Righteousness
[42:59] - The Challenge of Mercy
[43:32] - Purity of Heart
[44:04] - The Difficulty of Peacemaking
[44:34] - Persecution for Righteousness
[45:19] - The Jewish Mindset of Blessing
[45:54] - Kingdom Qualities for Christians
[46:20] - Grieving Over Sin
[46:59] - Meekness as Strength
[47:33] - The Need for God
[48:04] - Devotion to Jesus
[48:43] - Relationship Over Rules
[49:22] - Living for Jesus
[49:57] - Point 3: Adopt the Movement of the Kingdom
[50:31] - Salt and Light
[51:02] - Actions Reflect Inner Life
[51:38] - Positive Influence of Good Works
[52:16] - Inner Transformation
[53:01] - Pointing Others to Jesus
[53:25] - Doing Good Works
[54:34] - Understanding Jesus' Teachings
[55:06] - New Creation in Christ
[55:30] - Repentance and the Kingdom
[55:52] - Changing Our Mindset
[56:12] - Viewing God Correctly
[56:37] - The Kingdom is Bigger and Better
[56:53] - Embracing Jesus' Teachings
[57:13] - The Outward Movement of the Kingdom
[57:35] - Demonstrating Our Faith
[58:02] - Transformation Through Christ
[58:22] - Are You a Kingdom Person?
[58:42] - Invitation to Relationship with God
[59:19] - Prayer for Kingdom Living
[59:44] - Becoming Kingdom People
[60:14] - The Kingdom is Jesus' Main Message
[60:38] - Invitation to Relationship with Jesus
[60:58] - God's Promise of a New Heart
[61:25] - Romans 10:9-10
[61:45] - Responding to Jesus' Invitation
[62:13] - Upcoming Series Topics
[62:44] - Worship Through Giving
[63:13] - Updating Church Information
[63:51] - Importance of Accurate Information
[64:21] - Filling Out Information Forms
[64:49] - Protecting Personal Information
[65:15] - Information for Guests
[65:37] - Membership Class Announcement
[65:56] - Discovering Spiritual Gifts
[66:17] - Worship Through Giving
[67:02] - Reading the Word and Declaration
[67:20] - Hebrews 12:1-2
[67:37] - Psalm 16:8-9
[68:00] - Declaration of Faith
[68:16] - Prayer for Offering
[68:57] - Closing Worship
[69:53] - Livestream Family Farewell

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

What activities was Jesus engaged in throughout Galilee according to Matthew 4:23-25?
What are the qualities and attitudes described in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12)?
How did the sermon describe the Kingdom of God as different from a political or material kingdom? [18:05]
What does Jesus mean when He says, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand"? [16:22]

Interpretation Questions

How does the concept of the Kingdom of God as a new way of life under God's rule challenge our current understanding of salvation and forgiveness? [15:37]
In what ways are the qualities described in the Beatitudes counter-cultural, and why might they highlight our need for God? [39:44]
How does the relationship with Jesus transform our actions and attitudes according to the sermon? [48:43]
What does it mean for our actions to reflect our inner transformation as Kingdom citizens? [51:02]

Application Questions

Reflect on your current understanding of the Kingdom of God. How does viewing it as a new way of life under God's rule change your daily actions and decisions? [15:37]
The Beatitudes describe qualities such as being poor in spirit and hungering for righteousness. Which of these qualities do you find most challenging to embody, and why? [39:44]
How can you cultivate a deeper relationship with Jesus to ensure that your actions and attitudes flow from your devotion to Him? [48:43]
Think of a recent situation where your actions did not reflect your inner transformation as a Kingdom citizen. What could you have done differently to be salt and light in that situation? [51:02]
Repentance involves changing our mindset and aligning our lives with God's rule. Identify an area in your life where you need to repent and realign with God's Kingdom. [55:30]
How can you practically demonstrate the qualities of the Kingdom, such as mercy and peacemaking, in your interactions this week? [44:04]
Jesus emphasized that the Kingdom of God is not about behavior modification but about a relationship with Him. How can you shift your focus from following rules to deepening your relationship with Jesus? [49:57]

Sermon Clips

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "The main focus of Jesus's message, and we saw this in verse 23, was he was preaching the gospel of the kingdom. Now, if you don't know what gospel is, gospel is just a word that means good news. It's a proclamation of good news. It's usually made by a Caesar or a dictator or a king to the nation that they live in. Usually a proclamation, a gospel was given when a king conquered a foreign nation, when they overcame an enemy, when something good happened, and the king wanted people to know, he would produce a gospel, euangelion. They would make a proclamation. I think in the Hebrew it's basar. But they would declare that good news, we win. Good news. Victory. Victory." (47 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "Jesus didn't come just to say, oh, you know, just come to me and bow down and follow me and I'll forgive you your sins and give you everything that you want in life. Jesus did not preach that message. Jesus preached the kingdom of heaven is here. Matter of fact, he started off the first sermon that's recorded of Jesus. We have like four or five words. You know what it is? Repent for the kingdom of heaven. Heaven is here. So eight words. Repent for the kingdom of heaven is here. That was the first sermon of Jesus." (34 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "The kingdom of God is not about behavior modification. And you could read the scripture. You could read the sermon and say that Jesus is talking about. Rules blessed or the person that does this don't do this. I tell you to turn your you know, the other cheek. I tell you to give the cloak. I tell you to go the extra mile. I tell you to do this. I tell you that and we can just take those rules and act like that is what qualifies us for the kingdom. But Jesus is not just the teacher of good morals. Jesus is not just a teacher of good intellect. Even though Jesus was the smartest man that ever lived. He was the most moral man that ever lived. Jesus came to teach what life in the kingdom is like." (36 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "If we want to enjoy the blessing this of God or the state of happiness, because in the Beatitudes once is blessed is the man. It also can be. Translated happy is the man. If you want that happiness, if you want that blessedness. That flows with the kingdom of God, then you have to follow Jesus and apply his teachings. You have to enter into it by the way that he offers. So when we receive the gospel of the kingdom, we receive new life in Christ. Not just new citizenship, but a new life. A new nature. You learn a new language. You learn a new way. You learn a new culture. You learn new customs. And then as you walk in that life, as you experience that change, other people see it too. And you become basically an invitation from heaven for them to experience the same thing." (53 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "The kingdom of God is not like. The kingdom of the world, just as Jesus is not of this world. He said, I'm not of this world. I'm from another world. I'm from heaven. Jesus left the throne of glory and came down and became flesh was incarnate. That's a spiritual word for becoming a person like us, flesh and bone. And he lived among us and he dwelt among us. And he taught us that there's something more. He told us there's something better. All the things that the prophets had declared, all the promises that God had made. Jesus was trying to show us in his self. So that we didn't just have words on a page. We had a life. We could see the culture of the kingdom of heaven and his customs are not natural to us. And we can't just take tests on its laws and raise our hands and swear an oath to enter it." (49 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

### Quotes for Members

1. "The message of the Sermon on the Mount is about the hope of the spirit and the hopelessness of the flesh. You'll see very clearly that the things that Jesus lays out are impossible for us to do. That means that without him, it's hopeless for us to enter the kingdom of heaven. But the flip side is, is that it is God's good pleasure to give us the kingdom. That Jesus on the other side of that said one side, he's saying y'all can't make it. But on the other side, he's saying. You can, but you can. Y'all can't make it in yourself, but you can in me. It's a two edged sword. One side cuts, the other side heals. The gospel kingdom is just that it's good news. And Jesus proclaimed the good news, the good news that the kingdom of God had come and was available to you and to me." (52 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "The Beatitudes describe the qualities and the attitudes of kingdom citizens, this describes the actions and activities of those people. See, if you're a follower of Jesus, you do things. You live a certain way. You talk a certain way. You adopt the culture and the customs of the kingdom, and you can't help it. You walk in and instead of cussing somebody out, you bless them in the name of the Lord. Amen? I mean, there are things that you do that are counter-cultural to what you've grown up in. What am I trying to say? What is Jesus trying to say? He's trying to say this. Your actions are an outflow of your inner life. Or we might say our attitudes influence our behaviors. Our thoughts generate our actions. And so who we are on the inside is how we live on the outside." (54 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "The sermon isn't about behavior, it's about life in the kingdom. And life in the kingdom comes by being connected to Jesus. Because when you're connected to Jesus, the life of God begins to flow through you. The Bible says, if anyone's in Christ, he's a new creation. The old things pass away, behold, all things become new. Not rules, not regulations. We do those things because we're in relationship with him. Back in Matthew 4, verse 17, the Bible says, from that time, Jesus began to preach and say, repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. If we want to receive the kingdom of heaven, and to be blessed and to be happy, to have that joy, we have to repent. Now, y'all are like, oh, repent, that's a religious word. It is, but it's a simple word. It means to change your mind. It means to change your mind. You need to change your mind about how we view and how we interpret the world, if we're going to be able to receive the message of Jesus." (55 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "The kingdom of heaven is not private to you. It's not meant to be kept by you. Your faith is not a personal faith. It's a community faith. It's a communal faith. And it's meant to be given away. It's meant to be demonstrated. It's meant to be observed by others. You say, I'm a Christian. Do people know it? I'm a Christian. Do they recognize Jesus in you? Or do they just see your Bible, the big fat one like I got, that you go around flopping them with? Or do they see Christ in you? That's how they know. When we adopt these things, when we follow these practices, we'll experience the grace and the power and the transformation that enable us to be God's children and kingdom people. And to those who do these things, Jesus said, very simply, yours is the kingdom. To you belong the kingdom of heaven." (55 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "So as American Christians. Or as Western people with a Western worldview, we don't think. Kingdom ways, do we? We think about freedom and voting and presidents and Congress and senates and and freedom of speech and in all these choices. But in the kingdom, the rules are different. In a kingdom, the ways are different. In a kingdom, the customs are different. Now, Jesus preached that the good news of God's dominion and rule has come and we could receive it and we can enjoy it and we can benefit into the people of his day. That was great news. Why? Because Israel was in bondage to Rome. Israel was not a free. People. Rome was ruling. They were subject to Rome. They had been conquered by Rome. And ever since the Old Testament days, they heard a story of God bringing a king through the through the lineage of David, right? That God was going to establish his kingdom, that Israel was going to rule with God, that the people of God were going to be with God. And they were going to triumph over evil and triumph over darkness and triumph over their enemies and live in the blessedness of fellowship with God forever." (64 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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