The Gospel Of The Kingdom - The Proclamation Of The Kingdom

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                      "THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM"

                    The Proclamation Of The Kingdom

INTRODUCTION

1. It is quite common to hear sermons on the church of Christ...
   a. The establishment of the church
   b. The nature of the church
   c. The work and worship of the church
   -- And rightly so, because the church is important to Jesus - cf. Ep
      5:25-29

2. But what about the kingdom of God...?
   a. Has the kingdom been established?
   b. What is the nature of the kingdom?
   c. What blessings and responsibilities are incumbent of those in the
      kingdom?
   --  Not much is often said about the kingdom of God these days

[Yet as we shall see, the kingdom of God was an important topic of first
century preaching, and should also be in the twenty-first century!  Note
the prominence of the kingdom of God in...]

I. THE PREACHING OF JESUS

   A. HE PROCLAIMED THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM...
      1. Throughout Galilee - Mk 1:14; cf. Mt 4:23; 9:35
      2. Declaring that the kingdom was "at hand" - Mk 1:15
      3. Calling upon people to repent and believe the good news - Mk
         1:15
      4. Doing so with a sense of urgency and purpose - Lk 4:43; 8:1

   B. HE SENT HIS DISCIPLES TO PROCLAIM THE KINGDOM...
      1. First, the apostles in their limited commission - Lk 9:1-2
      2. Individual disciples as well - Lk 9:59-60
      3. Then seventy disciples, sent out two by two - Lk 10:1,9-11

[Even after His death and resurrection, Jesus continued to teach His
disciples many things about the kingdom (cf. Ac 1:3).  We should not be
surprised to see that they would continue to talk about the kingdom (cf.
Ac 8:12).  We note this especially in...]

II. THE PREACHING OF PAUL

   A. IN THE SYNAGOGUES ON HIS JOURNEYS...
      1. His custom was to go into the synagogues - cf. Ac 17:1-3
      2. He sought to persuade them concerning the kingdom of God - cf.
         Ac 19:8

   B. AMONG THE CHURCHES HE VISITED...
      1. He had preached the kingdom of God to them - Ac 20:25
      2. He had warned them what to expect - e.g., Ac 14:21-22
      3. He would later write to them about the kingdom - e.g., 1 Th
         2:12; 2Th 1:5

   C. TO ANYONE WHO WOULD LISTEN...
      1. Such as the inquiring Jews in Rome - Ac 28:23
      2. To those who visited him while under house arrest - Ac 28:30-31

CONCLUSION

1. What is this "kingdom" that so preoccupied Jesus and Paul...?
   a. Is it a literal kingdom?
   b. Is it a kingdom yet to come?
   c. Is it a kingdom that ought to preoccupy our attention and
      predominate our teaching?
   -- Indeed, what is the gospel of the kingdom?

2. Since we noticed that...
   a. Jesus spent forty days (in addition to three years!) talking about
      the kingdom - Ac 1:3
   b. Paul talked "from morning till evening" on one occasion - Ac 28:23
   -- It would be impossible to give the subject justice in one sermon

In future lessons we shall examine such things as the nature,
establishment, blessings, and demands of the kingdom.  That we might
look forward to our study, remember these words of Jesus:

   "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field,
   which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells
   all that he has and buys that field." 

   "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful
   pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and
   sold all that he had and bought it." (Mt 13:44-46)

What is this kingdom of great value to those who find it, whether by
accident or design...?
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