ESC Shabbat Service: Dr. Stephen Guice - Kingdom of God: Week 2

Aug 01, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: A Stone Cut Without Hands Fills the Earth

The kingdom of God begins small but grows irresistibly, like a stone becoming a mountain. It crushes earthly systems not by human effort but divine power. This kingdom transcends politics, empires, and human logic, enduring when every other structure fails. Its expansion is quiet yet total, filling the earth with Christ’s reign. Those who align with it participate in eternity’s unstoppable purpose. [01:24:36]

A stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were all broken in pieces and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors, and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever. (Daniel 2:34-35, 44-45, ESV)

Reflection: Where do you feel overwhelmed by earthly systems or chaos? How might trusting the unstoppable growth of God’s kingdom shift your perspective today?

Day 2: Seated in Heavenly Places with Crucified Hearts

Authority flows not from status but surrender. Believers reign with Christ from spiritual heights while embracing daily death to self. This paradox defines kingdom citizenship: power rooted in crucifixion, strength found in weakness. Like Jesus before Pilate, confidence comes from knowing whose voice declares our identity. The cross dismantles earthly metrics of control. [01:52:42]

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:4-6, ESV)

Reflection: What earthly measure of success or security tempts you to forget your seated position in Christ? How might dying to that lie unleash resurrection power?

Day 3: Blind Eyes Opened to a Higher Truth

Natural reasoning stumbles where spiritual sight leaps. Water becomes wine, storms obey commands, and resurrection rewrites endings. The kingdom operates beyond logic yet fulfills deeper wisdom. Those once blinded by darkness now perceive realities that confound the wise. True sight comes not through analysis but surrender to the God who bends nature. [01:44:23]

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? (1 Corinthians 1:18-20, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you limited God to “reasonable” solutions? What situation needs you to boldly expect supernatural intervention?

Day 4: Lepers at the Gate and the King’s Touch

Jesus’ kingdom advances through contaminated places and rejected people. Lepers—feared, isolated, deemed untouchable—become sites of divine encounter. Earthly power builds walls; heavenly authority breaks them. The King’s hand reaches where religion recoils, turning margins into centers of redemption. His touch still transforms what culture declares unclean. [01:21:43]

And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. (Mark 1:40-42, ESV)

Reflection: Who or what have you unconsciously labeled “untouchable”? How might Jesus’ example compel you to move toward them this week?

Day 5: Greater Works Through Derived Authority

Resurrection power flows through crucified vessels. Followers don’t conjure miracles but channel the King’s delegated might. Like diplomats bearing a nation’s authority, believers act in Jesus’ name, not their own. The test isn’t personal ability but surrendered availability. When aligned with heaven’s throne, ordinary lives unleash extraordinary kingdom impact. [01:54:05]

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. (John 14:12-13, ESV)

Reflection: What “greater work” feels impossible in your strength? How might relying wholly on Christ’s authority change your approach?

Sermon Summary

Ephesians one opens the eyes of the heart to the hope of God’s calling and to the boundless greatness of his power. God raised Messiah from the dead, seated him far above every rule and authority, and put all things under his feet for the sake of the church, his body. The kingdom of God is not just a prayer prayed or a savior accepted like a little religious transaction. The kingdom means a total change of life, a transfer out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light, with a new King, new laws, new culture, new language, new government, and new citizenship.

The image of Yeshua touching the leper shows what that kingdom looks like on the ground. The world kept lepers outside the gate because fear said their uncleanness could protect a castle. Yeshua reached out, touched, prayed, healed, and showed a kingdom that moves toward the lowest spot and the hardest time.

Daniel’s stone becomes the great mountain that fills the whole earth. The kingdoms of this world get crushed like chaff, but God sets up a kingdom that will never be destroyed. Revelation sings the same thing: the kingdom of this world becomes the kingdom of the Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign forever and ever.

Pilate’s courtroom shows the clash of kingdoms. Pilate has the robe, Caesar’s backing, and the trappings of power, but Yeshua stands there unbowed, clear, and not intimidated. Yeshua says, “My kingdom is not of this world,” not because the earth does not matter, but because his kingdom is not a political grab. His servants do not fight like the world fights. His kingdom testifies to the truth, and Truth himself stands before Pilate while Pilate asks, “What is truth?”

Yeshua announces the kingdom with repentance, good news to the poor, freedom for captives, sight for the blind, and release for the oppressed. His authority is not mere reasoning, although it is not unreasonable. His authority carries supernatural power: wind and waves obey him, demons obey him, water becomes wine, lepers are cleansed, the dead are raised, and the poor hear good news.

Derived authority becomes the kingdom principle. Messiah’s people do not carry authority because of themselves, but because they are seated with him and sent under him. Galatians two twenty gives the goal: crucified with Messiah, no longer self at the center, but Messiah living in the flesh by faith. Matthew twenty eight gives the assignment: all authority belongs to Yeshua, therefore disciples are to be made among all nations.

Key Takeaways

1. Kingdom means transferred citizenship [01:22:21] The kingdom of God is not reduced to a private prayer or a religious label. The kingdom moves a person from one realm to another, from darkness into light, with a King who reshapes allegiance, habits, speech, values, and hope. Salvation is therefore not less than forgiveness, but it is more than forgiveness, because citizenship changes the whole way life is understood. [82:21]
2. Yeshua touches the unclean [01:20:39] The leper image shows a kingdom that does not protect itself through distance and fear. Yeshua’s holiness is not fragile, as though uncleanness could contaminate him. His touch carries cleansing power into the place everyone else avoids, and that reveals what divine authority is actually like. [80:39]
3. Truth stood before Pilate [01:35:33] Pilate looked like the man with power, but Yeshua stood as the one who knew exactly who he was. The kingdom does not need intimidation, panic, or worldly force to prove itself. Truth can be bound, beaten, and questioned, yet still remain the only truly free presence in the room. [95:33]
4. Authority is always derived [01:49:40] Kingdom authority is not self-generated confidence or spiritual swagger. It comes from representing another, standing in the right place under the King’s command. When that alignment is lost, authority becomes presumption, but when that alignment is right, heaven’s backing rests on obedience. [109:40]
5. Crucifixion precedes kingdom life [01:55:26] Galatians two twenty makes the target painfully clear: self cannot remain enthroned while Messiah’s life takes shape. Crucifixion is not mainly religious hardship, but the deep surrender of what self wants, thinks, protects, and demands. The life that follows is not emptiness, but Messiah living through a person by faith.

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Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[78:54] - Ephesians Prayer for Opened Eyes
[80:39] - Yeshua Touches the Leper
[82:21] - Transferred Into Another Kingdom
[83:29] - Daniel’s Stone Becomes a Mountain
[86:52] - Pilate Faces the True King
[91:15] - The Kingdom Beyond Israel Alone
[97:49] - Repent, the Kingdom Has Come Near
[100:19] - Authority Over Wind and Waves
[104:23] - Supernatural Power Above Natural Reason
[107:26] - Signs Confirm the Messiah
[109:40] - Understanding Derived Authority
[111:13] - Seated With Messiah Now
[115:26] - Crucified With Messiah
[121:19] - All Authority and the Great Commission

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Ephesians 1:18-23
“having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” [01:18:54]

John 18:33-38
“So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ Jesus answered, ‘Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?’ Pilate answered, ‘Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?’ Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.’ Then Pilate said to him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.’ Pilate said to him, ‘What is truth?’ After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, ‘I find no guilt in him.’” [01:33:32]

Matthew 28:18-20
“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” [02:01:19]

Galatians 2:20
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” [01:55:22]

Observation questions

In Ephesians 1, what are the three things Paul wants believers to know once the eyes of their hearts are enlightened?
In John 18, what does Yeshua say about the nature of his kingdom, and what does he say he came into the world to do? [01:35:33]
What details in the picture of Yeshua touching the leper show the difference between the world’s way and the kingdom’s way? [01:20:39]
In Matthew 28, what commands flow out of Yeshua’s statement that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him?

Interpretation questions

If the kingdom means a transfer from darkness into light, why is it too small to describe salvation as only a private prayer or a religious transaction? [01:22:21]
Yeshua says, “My kingdom is not of this world.” How should that shape the way believers think about power, conflict, and influence in the world? [01:34:27]
Pilate looked powerful, yet Yeshua stood there calm and unbowed. What does that scene reveal about the difference between worldly power and true authority? [01:36:17]
Galatians 2:20 says, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” What kind of death to self does that point to in everyday life, not just in dramatic moments? [02:00:22]

Application questions

If citizenship has really changed, what is one area of life where the old kingdom still tries to claim loyalty—speech, habits, fears, relationships, money, or something else? What might it look like to live there as a citizen of light this week? [01:22:37]
Yeshua moved toward the unclean and the unwanted. Who tends to get kept “outside the gate” in everyday life, and what might a faithful step of nearness, compassion, or prayer look like this week? [01:21:40]
Truth stood before Pilate without panic or intimidation. Where is there pressure right now to become anxious, defensive, or controlling? What would it look like to stand clear and steady there instead? [01:33:48]
Authority is derived, not self-made. Where is there a temptation to act out of personal strength, image, or pressure instead of acting under Yeshua’s authority? How could that be recognized and corrected? [01:49:33]
Believers are seated with Messiah now. How would prayer, temptation, or spiritual opposition look different if that was remembered in the moment instead of only as an idea? [01:52:07]
Crucifixion with Messiah means self is no longer on the throne. What desire, opinion, hurt, or demand most needs to be surrendered right now so that Messiah’s life can be seen more clearly? [01:56:47]
Because all authority belongs to Yeshua, the call is to make disciples of all nations. Who is one actual person that could be prayed for, encouraged, or engaged more intentionally in the days ahead? [02:01:30]

Sermon Clips

52s

#CrucifiedWithMessiah

“Back to our Galatians. I've been crucified with Messiah. We gotta die. Right? Gotta die to ourselves. And it's no longer I who live. Oh, that's good news. Most crucifixion we think of is the end. Right? here's something supernatural. I've been crucified but it's no longer I who live. But Messiah 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 up for me. That's our goal.”

50s

#TruthEmbodied

“talk about missing it. Truth is standing before you. He is the way, the truth and the life. He's truth embodied. And Pilate goes, what's truth, you know? But you can see the love of God that God, even in that circumstance, Yeshua is kind of witnessing to him. Yeshua is trying to share good news with him even there. Pilate thinks he's in charge and he's examining this guy and he controls it, and Yeshua is standing there, unbowed, clear, knowing who he is and even sharing with Pilate and saying, hey, you know, there's truth.”

48s

#KingdomCitizenship

“``But I'm trying to tell you it's more than that. And, if you don't know that, ask about him, ask him. It's a total change of life. You're going from one kingdom, the kingdom of darkness that you've been living in, where the prince of darkness has been blinding your eyes your whole whole life. You've been translated into another citizenship, into another kingdom, into the kingdom of light. And as we said last week, a kingdom has a king, first off, It has laws and a culture, language, government, constitution, currency, all these things that are different. And, we have citizenship in another kingdom.”

50s

#DerivedKingdomAuthority

“We have that derived authority when we're walking in the right place. If we're trying to carry it in on ourselves, we got trouble. But if we're in the right place like Yeshua was, he had that derived authority. Remember in the in the garden, when Peter's trying to fight to keep him safe, Yeshua says, I could have called 10 legions of angels to protect me. He had that authority. But he also knew he had to do what he saw the father doing. He had to go where the father was leading him. And in that, when he's in that right place, all authority is there for him. This is a kingdom principle.”

70s

#AuthorityByRepresentation

“So to go to this authority question, what we're talking about is derived authority. So when I was a US diplomat, I had authority, not because of who I am, not because of where I went to school, not because of any of that stuff, but because I had a derived authority. I was representing something else. You know, if I I'm the treasurer of The United States, he signs really big bills, doesn't he? You know? It's like a check. There's a big check coming in and he's writing something for however many million billion, who knows? A lot of money. Scott Bissant may be relatively wealthy. He doesn't have that kind of money. When he's signing that, he's not representing himself, he's got that derived authority. And when he signs that thing, then the whole authority of The United States is behind him.”

57s

#HighCallingKingdomWorks

“So that is a really high calling. That is a really high calling. If you thought this was an easy life, if you thought this was just I bought fire insurance, I prayed a prayer and I'll fly away to heaven. If things get tough, I'll be just pulled out and I won't have to go through stuff. Nope. We said right there, I have been crucified with Messiah. So we all have to die, we all have that life ahead. We all have that derived authority and that calling for us that we can walk in because Yeshua, you know, the thought that Yeshua said, the works that I do, you will do and greater. Kind of freaks me out sometimes if I think about it too much, doesn't it?”

64s

#ReachTheLeast

“Know, lepers had to have bells on them so people could stay away from them because if you touched a leper, you were unclean and you had to go through all this stuff. And also, people were frightened of them. I was at a castle in France, the castle in the town of Guise, where my family originally came from. they had the gate to the castle, there was this little area in the front of it, and I the guide was talking to us and he said, that's where they kept lepers. And I thought, that's bizarre. He said, oh yeah, no, then nobody would come and attack the front gate because there are lepers there and they could get leprosy and that freaked them out. Here's Yeshua touching, praying for, healing, reaching out to the people at the lowest spot, the worst, hardest time.”

50s

#SeatedAuthority

“Is he talking about when we're dead? You'll go to heaven? He's talking about now, that derived authority. Can I you know, this is not this is not so I can do what I want? This is seated with him in the heavenlies. That's authority. That's amazing authority. That's available as children of God. As children of God, we have that authority not to do what we want but to see his kingdom come.”

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