The Strength of God's Kingdom - Week 3

We're in a series called Kingdom Freedom, and we're focusing on the freedom that being a part of God's Kingdom gives us. What is the Kingdom of God? When you read the phrase Kingdom in Scripture, I think it would be helpful for us to replace the word kingdom with rule, reign, or dominion.

God's Kingdom is everything that he rules over. So if you have a big view of God's power, then you think it's a great kingdom, but if you have a weak view of God, it's a weak kingdom.

The strength of a kingdom is determined by the strength of its king.

There's this terrible idea that's dominated our world since Adam in the garden. It's the sin demonstrated in King Arthur (the Sword in the Stone) or in any Guy Ritchie movie or any Disney movie. They're perpetuating: The great lie of you are the master of your domain.

If you are the king of your kingdom, your kingdom is weak.

You can pretend to be strong, but deep down you know your weaknesses. You know there are chinks in your armor. Well, eventually the enemy will find the weakness in your defenses. The world's dominant worldview is Humanism.

When we pretend we're in control, we really just hiding our flaws. How much time do you spend hiding your flaws? But you always get caught don't you. Someone sees them. Jesus said

Luke 12:2-3

² The time is coming when everything that is covered up will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all. 

If you've got a secret sin, it's not going to be secret for long. You will be found out. So surrender to God. Bring everything out into the light. Jesus continues:

³ Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be shouted from the housetops for all to hear!

The world talks a lot about "managing" mental health, managing anxiety, and managing addictions, but Jesus doesn't want us to manage our addictions & our anxiety. He was to destroy them, to set us free!

If you are righteous, it's because God made you righteous.

We are powerless to make ourselves good, to make ourselves holy. But what's the result of being in a relationship with God? We call it the fruit of the spirit. When we are in relationships with God, HE changes us.

Galatians 5:22-23

²² But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!