The Violent Take It By Force | Pastor Corbin Kill | Sunday, August 9th, 2026

Aug 09, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Wrestling For Blessing With Unyielding Grip

The kingdom demands more than polite prayers - it requires Jacob’s midnight tenacity. When every muscle screams to quit, holiness is birthed through gritted determination to hold heaven’s promise until dawn breaks. Blessings come not to those who negotiate, but to those who exhaust themselves clinging to God’s word. This violent grace reshapes identities and alters destinies. [43:39]

And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. (Genesis 32:24-28, KJV)

Reflection: What blessing are you tempted to release before daybreak? Where is God calling you to grip His promise tighter despite exhaustion?

Day 2: Hem-Grabbing Faith In Life’s Crush

Desperation becomes holy violence when shame and crowds can’t silence hungry hands. The kingdom favors those who bypass decorum to touch Christ’s authority. Like the woman bleeding for twelve years, true healing comes through undignified reach - pressing through religious spectators to seize power in the Savior’s fringe. [36:41]

And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, and had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, when she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. (Mark 5:25-28, KJV)

Reflection: What “fringe of His garment” are you hesitating to grasp? What respectable barriers keep you from Christ’s healing edge?

Day 3: Camel Hair Prophets In A Velvet Age

Soft robes indicate palace dwellers, not kingdom warriors. John the Baptist’s wilderness roughness offended religious elites but magnetized the hungry. True messengers wear sacrifice like camel’s hair - their uncompromised lives amplify heaven’s signal through static of comfort. The kingdom advances through locust-eating urgency, not king’s table diplomacy. [23:30]

But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist. (Matthew 11:7-11, KJV)

Reflection: Where has comfort muted your prophetic edge? What wilderness sacrifices would amplify your kingdom message?

Day 4: Ambassadors Wearing Eternal Postcodes

Earthly addresses fade; kingdom citizenship brands deeper than passports. Ambassadors don’t vacation in enemy territory - they establish embassy outposts through cruciform conduct. Every word and action negotiates heavenly treaties. The violent realize Mississippi streets are foreign soil; their true consulate glows in prayer-closet embassies. [28:10]

Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:20, KJV)

Reflection: What earthly “address” still claims your allegiance? How would embassy-mindedness alter your conversations today?

Day 5: Crucified Opinions At Kingdom’s Gate

The violent kill not people but preferences - every “I think” nailed beside Christ. Flesh dies screaming as transformed minds storm hell’s gates with heaven’s syntax. Comfortable doctrines make poor battering rams. Only crucified opinions breach walls, their bloodied timber forming crosses for new creation. [45:00]

And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. (Luke 9:23, KJV)

Reflection: What uncrucified opinion still negotiates with Scripture? Where is Christ demanding your mental cross’s final hammerstroke?

Sermon Summary

Jesus takes Matthew 11 and puts John the Baptist before the people as more than a prophet. John is not a soft man in a king’s house. John is a wilderness man, clothed in camel’s hair, living hard, denying comfort, and preparing the way of the Lord. Jesus says that from the days of John until now, “the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force,” and that word kingdom is not just a place on a map. The kingdom is the rule and reign of Jesus Christ wherever His authority is acknowledged and His will is done.

The kingdom of heaven becomes real in the life of a born again believer when human will, fleshly desire, comfort, pride, and preference surrender to the authority of Christ. The kingdom is not passively received by those dressed in soft raiment, standing back with folded arms, secure in position and reputation. The tax gatherers, harlots, outcasts, fishermen, lame, broken, and desperate pressed in because their need was greater than the pride of the Pharisees. The woman with the issue of blood did not wait politely. She pressed through the crowd and laid hold of the hem of His garment, and virtue flowed from Jesus.

The violent pursuit Jesus speaks of is not rage aimed at other people. Jacob wrestling with the angel shows a holy violence, a fierce and unbreakable determination to take hold of God and not let go until the blessing comes. That kind of pressing requires a made up mind. Flesh must be denied. Opinions must perish. Comforts, preferences, reputations, plans, old identities, old thought patterns, and default settings must be brought under the rule of Christ.

The kingdom also makes its citizens ambassadors. A believer is not merely a citizen of Mississippi or America, but a citizen of heaven, representing the King in a lost and dying world. Casual Christianity gives the world a lie, speaking of Jesus as Lord while comfort, ease, and the opinions of others run the life. A life radically and violently altered by the kingdom becomes a beacon, something real that money cannot buy and the world cannot provide.

The enemy will fight every step of serious pursuit. Comfort, distraction, compromise, relationships, opportunity, and reputation may all become tools that pull the soul away from God. The kingdom asks for absolute determination. The call is to stop being a spectator in salvation, take off the soft raiment of comfort, wrestle like Jacob, deny like John, and press into the kingdom with everything.

Key Takeaways

1. The kingdom is Christ’s reign The kingdom of heaven is not merely a future address or a religious label. The kingdom becomes present wherever the authority, rule, reign, and sovereignty of Jesus Christ is acknowledged. A life only tastes the kingdom when fleshly will bows and Christ’s will governs the actual daily reality. [27:19]
2. Desperation presses past respectability The tax gatherers, harlots, and outcasts entered where the respectable stood outside measuring, questioning, and judging. Their brokenness did not disqualify them, because their desperation made them reach for Jesus with force. Pride can keep a soul polished and lost, while need can drive a soul straight into the presence of God. [31:56]
3. Holy violence fights inward first The violence of the kingdom is not anger used to push sinners away. Holy contention turns its force against flesh, comfort, pride, and every desire that competes with Christ. The believer who wrestles inwardly like Jacob may come away limping, but that limp can carry a blessing larger than the struggle itself. [57:06]
4. Ambassadors must show the real thing A citizen of heaven represents the King in a broken and perishing world. Casual faith tells the lost that Jesus is optional, but a costly, altered life declares that the kingdom is real. Conduct speaks louder than words because presence itself can testify, “My God is worth serving.” [67:41]
5. Determination keeps the soul from drifting The kingdom will not be taken by a drifting heart. Comfort, compromise, relationships, and reputation can all become quiet currents pulling a person away from God. The soul that is not determined will not stand still, it will drift, and the kingdom calls for a made up mind.

## [71:43]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[23:07] - Matthew 11 And John The Baptist
[25:05] - The Violent Take It By Force
[26:08] - What The Kingdom Means
[29:46] - The Kingdom Under Assault
[30:35] - Outcasts Press Into The Gospel
[34:16] - The Kingdom Is Not Passive
[36:41] - The Woman Who Pressed Through
[38:04] - Citizens And Ambassadors Of Heaven
[42:49] - Jacob Wrestling For The Blessing
[45:46] - Flesh, Opinions, And Comfort Must Die
[55:42] - Angry Contention And Holy Contention
[58:41] - John’s Wilderness Denial
[63:34] - Pressing In Without Earning Salvation
[72:12] - Calling The Church Out Of Comfort

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Matthew 11:12
“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.” [23:12]

Genesis 32:24-26
“And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.” [42:49]

Matthew 9:20-22
“And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.” [36:41]

Observation questions

In Matthew 11:12, what action words stand out in the verse, and what do they suggest about how people were responding to the kingdom? [29:46]
In Genesis 32:24-26, what details show how intense Jacob’s struggle was, and what words show his determination not to let go?
In Matthew 9:20-22, what did the woman with the issue of blood actually do to get to Jesus, and what happened when she touched His garment? [36:59]
When Jesus spoke about John the Baptist, how was John contrasted with people in “soft raiment,” and what kind of life was John living? [58:41]

Interpretation questions

If the kingdom of heaven is Christ’s rule and reign rather than only a future place, what does that mean for how a believer understands daily surrender right now? [27:19]
Why do desperate people such as outcasts, sinners, and the broken often seem more ready to press into the kingdom than people who feel respectable, secure, and comfortable? [31:56]
Jacob said, “I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.” How does that picture help explain the difference between holy persistence and merely emotional religion? [44:18]
The violence of the kingdom is aimed inward rather than outward. How does that change the way a believer should think about spiritual struggle, repentance, and dealing with other people? [57:06]

Application questions

What has “soft raiment” looked like in real life lately—comfort, ease, reputation, routine, fear of people, or something else? Where has comfort made spiritual hunger weaker? [01:12:28]
The kingdom becomes real where Christ’s authority is actually obeyed. What part of life most needs to come under His rule right now—thoughts, habits, schedule, relationships, money, speech, or private desires? [29:05]
The woman with the issue of blood pressed through the crowd because her need was greater than her dignity. Where is there a need to stop waiting politely and begin seeking Jesus with real urgency? [37:18]
Jacob wrestled and would not let go. What struggle has been making the soul tired lately? What would it look like to keep holding on to God there instead of backing away? [50:35]
Citizens of heaven are also ambassadors. If unbelievers watched closely this week, what would they learn about the worth of Christ from ordinary conduct, attitude, and choices? [01:07:48]
The enemy often uses distraction, compromise, comfort, and even relationships to pull people away from serious pursuit. Which of those pressures feels most real right now, and how can it be recognized before drift sets in? [01:09:45]
A drifting heart will not take the kingdom by force. What practical change could help build a more determined pursuit of God this week—prayer, fasting, repentance, removing a distraction, seeking accountability, or making a hard decision that has been delayed? [01:11:43]

Sermon Clips

48s

#NoMoreCasualFaith

“``I know I've preached a little long this morning, but I'm calling us to something that is eternally serious. I'm calling us to step out of casual Christianity. I'm calling us to step out of easy beliefism. I'm calling us to take off the soft raiment of the comfortable church that that that that we've been embracing for so long and I'm calling us to take living for god seriously. I'm calling for us to press into the kingdom like Jacob when he wrestled with the angel of the lord and with every fiber, with every ounce of strength that we have, with every ounce of our being, we press.”

63s

#KingdomThroughSurrender

“the kingdom of heaven exists anywhere and everywhere that the will of god is accomplished. It exists anywhere and everywhere that the word of god is preached forth and pro proclaimed, where it is shared, where it is enacted, where it is lived out, where it is practiced. It is wherever the authority, the rule, the reign, and the sovereignty of Jesus Christ is acknowledged. Wherever god reigns supreme, that is his kingdom. The kingdom manifests itself on Earth through the rule and the reign of Jesus Christ in the lives of individuals. When a person, when I submit my human fleshly will and desire unto the will of Jesus Christ, when I surrender the authority of my life to the authority of Jesus Christ, then the kingdom of heaven becomes real inside of my life.”

75s

#LaborForTheKingdom

“The kingdom of god is not a reward for the idle. It's not a reward for the comfortable, but the kingdom is a place of rest for those of us who have truly labored for it. Not for people seeking ease, not for people wanting to maintain their comfort, not for people that wanna hold under their soft clothes and their honored positions, but for people who will be willing to violently deny ourselves, who will be willing to press through the jungle and the wilderness, and who will wear the rough garments that we call sacrifice and come out on the other side with a blessing, willing to stay up all night and wrestle with the angel of the lord as we learn to deny our flesh and lay a hold of a blessing and a promise. Jesus said that we are to take his yoke upon us. There is a yoke that we are meant and we are called to wear here from which we earn our rest there. That's why it's a place of rest.”

63s

#TakeItByForce

“They were the ones who were willing to get a hold of whatever it was that Jesus was preaching, to get a hold of the hem of his garment, to get a hold of the presence and the spirit and the power that the lord was demonstrating. These people, they understood something that the respectable buttoned up, proud, and prideful religious people missed. The kingdom of heaven. The kingdom of heaven is not for people who wait politely and passively for it to come to them. The kingdom of heaven is for people who will, with violence, force and press our way in to whatever the Lord has for us, whatever it may cost us, whatever it may do in us and through us. We wanna lay a hold of it with everything that we have with all of our heart and soul and strength and mind. The violence shall take it by force.”

55s

#PursueWithDiligence

“If we are to make our calling and election sure, we have to give diligence to the pursuit of the kingdom. I'm I'm coming to a close. But that phrase, give diligence, it means to be zealous. It means to strive. It means to apply yourself with an intensity and a purpose and not hope that it happens, not wait for it to just unfold, not to just stumble through life seeing when it'll come, but to be intentional, to pursue it with our whole lives, with all of our strength, soul, mind, body. It's not a passive thing. It's not a comfortable thing. It's not an easy thing.”

48s

#PassionateAmbassadors

“I don't earnestly contend for the faith once delivered under the saints as a way of somehow hoping to earn entrance into heaven on my own merit. I am justified only because of my faith that I have in Jesus Christ. But I realized that as a born again believer, a citizen of heaven, a pilgrim passing through this world as an ambassador of the kingdom of Christ to a lost and dying world, that those perishing souls deserve to see me, deserve to see us passionately and fervently and righteously and violently take the kingdom of heaven by force of our will.”

40s

#HoldFastUntilBlessed

“Not a violence birthed out of anger, not not rage directed outwardly towards whomever we can lay our rage against, but that violence that consumed Jacob in that morning, a fierce and unbreakable determination to take a hold of God and not let go until the blessing comes and not stop fighting until the answer comes, not stop wrestling until our flesh has been surrendered.”

63s

#RenewTheMind

“Our flesh has to be denied. There's no ifs, ands, or buts about it. There's no other way around it. If we wanna see the kingdom of god, the rule and reign of Christ in our lives and in our homes, in our families, then we must crucify and deny our flesh. Our minds must be transformed by the renewing of his spirit. That means we have to be willing to let go of every train and pattern of thought that comes from our old way of thinking and say, you know what, Lord? I've allowed the enemy. I've allowed my flesh to speak negativity over my life for long enough, but I'm needing your spirit to come and transform my mind. I'm needing your spirit to come and renew my way of thinking. If we're gonna violently pursue the kingdom, then our opinions have to perish.”

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