1 – King Me! The Good News Of God’s Kingdom

“‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, ¹⁰ your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. ¹¹ Give us today our daily bread. ¹² And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. ¹³ And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Matthew 6:9-13 (NIV)

JESUS, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?

1. JESUS CAME AS A KING.

The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!  Luke 1:32-33 (NLT)

“So you are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, that’s the reason I was born. John 18:37a (NIRV)

2. JESUS CAME TO BRING ME GOOD NEWS.

Jesus traveled throughout the region of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. Matthew 4:23 (NLT)

And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come. Matthew 24:14 (NLT)

But now the people believed Philip’s message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. As a result, many men and women were baptized. Acts 8:12 (NLT)

From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Matthew 4:17 (NIV)

3. JESUS CAME TO SHOW ME TRUE REALITY.

I was born and came into the world to be a witness to the truth. Everyone who is on the side of truth listens to me.” John 18:37b (NIRV)

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33 (NIV)

I MUST REALIZE THESE KINGS & KINGDOMS ARE ILLEGITIMATE:

• THE KINGDOM OF SATAN.

If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? Luke 11:18a (NIV)

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10 (NIV)

He has saved us from the kingdom of darkness. He has brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. Colossians 1:13 (NIRV)

…Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. ¹⁵ It is no great surprise then that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve. 2 Corinthians 11:14b-15 (CEB)

And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. ⁹ The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. 2 Thessalonians 2:8-9a (NIV)

NOTE:  Jesus has FOES, but He has no RIVALS or EQUALS.

• THE KINGDOM OF ME.

Any place where you find jealousy and selfish ambition, you will discover chaos and evil thriving under its rule. James 3:16 (VOICE)

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. 1 Timothy 1:17 (NIV)

4. JESUS CAME TO CALL ME TO SURRENDER.

…suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? ³² If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. ³³ In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples. Luke 14:31-33 (NIV)

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon [money, possessions, fame, status, or whatever is valued more than the Lord]. Matthew 6:24 (AMP)

But when the man heard this he became very sad, for he was very rich. ²⁴ When Jesus saw this, he said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God! Luke 18:23-24 (NLT)

5. JESUS IS COMING TO REIGN OVER ALL.

Think of David’s words about Him not being abandoned to the place of the dead nor being left to decay in the grave. ³² He was talking about Jesus, the One God has raised, whom all of us have seen with our own eyes and announce to you today… ³⁶ Everyone in Israel should now realize with certainty what God has done: God has made Jesus both Lord and Anointed King—this same Jesus whom you crucified. Acts 2:31b-32, 36 (VOICE)