What Is The Gospel Of The Kingdom?

UNDERSTANDING THE SCRIPTURES

We continue our excursion through the gospel of Matthew.Here again are Dave and Tom:This is our Understanding the Scriptures segment, we are in the gospel of Matthew.Matthew chapter 4, and we’re going to pick up with Verse 23:“And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.”There is a lot in that verse.I think last week you said you were going to talk about the gospel of the kingdom.

Dave:

Well, I mentioned last week, it talks about the kingdom of heaven and then it talks about the kingdom of God.And I grew up in a group of Christians who tried to say there was a big distinction. Because Matthew is talking about the kingdom of heaven, and the other gospels, John’s gospel for example, “…enter the kingdom of God,” John:3:5Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
See All..., “…except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”So he tried to say there is a big difference.I don’t think there is because when you study the gospels, go back and forth, it says pretty much the same thing about the kingdom of heaven as it says about kingdom of God.But what is this gospel of the kingdom?Now, periodically I get a letter from a dear brother out there who takes me to task about this.He preaches the gospel of the kingdom, and he says, Why don’t you guys preach the gospel of the kingdom?Well, we do.Then those who say, Well, but it all changed, you see.Well, I mean there are a lot of heretical ideas involved in this, but anyway we would have to go to Matthew.We don’t have to turn to it, Matthew 28, and He says, Go into all the world and preach the gospel, we’ll make disciples.Mark:16:15And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
See All... He says, God into all the world, and preach the gospel.Well, which gospel is He talking about?The gospel of the kingdom.Is He talking about the gospel of the kingdom?Well, that was what He sent his disciples for, to teach and preach the gospel of the kingdom.Well then, I guess that carries over now, I would think so.Well, what is it?Well, I’m sure that Christ on the one hand was offering himself to Israel as their Messiah, as the One who would take the throne of David, which He eventually will.But they thought it was right then, (the disciples did) and that’s why the disciples, when Jesus said, I am going away, John 14, I’m going away to prepare a place for you, that’s thrilling to us.It wasn’t thrilling to them.Lord, how come you are going away?So there is a lot of confusion here.Now we have people, we call them “Kingdom Now” these would be some of the positive confession people who would say, We’ve got to establish the kingdom now, and until we have established the kingdom Christ can’t return.But He’s not going to return to take us to heaven, He’s going to return to rule over the kingdom we’ve established on earth.Well, that’s another obvious error.If the Jesus you meet, or the Christ you meet when He reveals himself, if you meet Him with your feet planted on planet earth, this is the Antichrist, this is not Christ.

Tom:

Now Dave, just let me add to that.This isn’t just the charismatics, hyper charismatics and their theology, positive confession, we have that in Reformed Theology, they are called preterits, they are called reconstructionists, theonymusts, and so on, and we’re seeing this now in the emerging church.It’s a very social gospel, we see this as a part of Rick Warren’sglobal peace plan, and so on.These errors, just as you’ve articulated, they are working to set up a kingdom here that wittingly or unwittingly they are going to be working for the Antichrist.

Dave:

Yeah, so another problem with this, Tom, is it involves the physical things of this earth.That would be one reason why I would say Rick Warren favors The Message by Eugene Peterson, because—well, we’ve been over this a few times, but let’s just take a quick example, John:3:17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
See All...: “He sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.”That’s salvation, taking us out of this to a home in heaven.Jesus says, I’m going to prepare a place for you, and so forth.

Tom:

And you just quoted the King James Version.

Dave:

Right.

Tom:

Peterson has a whole other view of that same verse.

Dave:

That verse in The Message, says:He came to help us set the world right.Now that sounds like political and social action.

Tom:

Reconstruction.

Dave:

Yeah, we’re going to do away with poverty and disease and so forth, or just one other quick example, 1 Peter:5:10But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
See All....Paul prays a prayer in Ephesians chapter l: “…That you may know the hope of His calling…” this is his prayer for the Ephesians.Well, what is the hope of His calling?Peter tells us what this is: what is the hope?He has called us unto His eternal glory.Well, I mean, Tom, that’s fantastic!When we see Him we will be like Him.Daniel says we’ll shine like the stars forever.What does The Message say?He’ll have you put back together again and standing on your feet.That’s down here!

Tom:

Temporal.

Dave:

Yeah, so there’s not this kingdom here, not for Christians.One day at the Second Coming Christ will establish that kingdom but the overall kingdom, if we ever want to talk about, well what is this kingdom?Jesus said, The kingdom is within you.The kingdom is Christ reigning in my heart.When the King reigns in my heart, and that is for every Christian, which should be the case.

Tom:

Dave, as this verse goes on, again we are in Matthew chapter 4, Verse 23:“And healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.”You know, this is a verse, again we were talking about the positive confession people, the prosperity teachings and so on, they would say, See, there it is in the Scripture, Jesus heals all sickness and all manner of disease, therefore if you are not healed it’s your problem.You know, you lack the faith, and so on.We could use a little healing for what we’re going through.

Dave:

Yeah, both of us.That’snot biblical, of course.If it were Christians would never die.He has something far better than perpetually answer these bodies.Tom, you and I need new ones now, these bodies of infirmity.We’re going to have a new body, we’re leaving for heaven.But if we went to Matthew chapter 8, you’ve got something similar to it.Verse 16:“When the even was come…—Well, he has just healed Peter’s mother-in-law from a fever.And now it says:“When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils:and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.”Now Isaiah 53:He waswounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities.Isaiah:53:5But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
See All... says:“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities:the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” Now what is that talking about?Well, some people try to say, Healing in the atonement.No Christian should ever get sick, you just don’t have the faith of what—No, no, if we went to 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 24, it says:Who his own self bare out sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness:by whose stripes ye were healed.”This is a healing from sin.Everyone who comes to Christ, that’s a promise to them, they will be delivered from their sins, but it’s not a promise of physical healing.

Dave and Tom will take up their discussion on the topic of salvation next week, wehope you can join us.This is Search the Scriptures Daily, a radio ministry of The Berean Call.Are you sincerely seeking the shepherd, or simply following the flock?Can you find the Bible at the box office?The new book from The Berean Call by T. A. McMahon, Showtime for the Sheep?The Church and the Passion of the Christ challenges readers.Is Mel Gibson’s blockbuster film true to the Bible?Have cinematicbiblical ethics become the super tools of today’s evangelism?This important new book looks at the increasing use of entertainment and amusement to teach the Word of God, and the expanding efforts to make the gospel message more seeker-sensitive.The advancing use of ecumenism, and the resultant confusion between Catholicism and Biblical Christianity, the multiplying affect of doctrinal error through increasingly popular paraphrased Bibles, and the proliferation of visual renditions of scripture.Executive Director of The Berean Call and co-author of, The Seduction of Christianity, T. A. McMahon:

The title of the book is a question: Showtime for the Sheep?And I’m asking the question, and I have a great concern, having a media background myself, that maybe we are moving into something which, even though it has elements in it that seems to refer to scripture, is it entertainment, is it for amusement, and do those elements draw us away from God’s truth?This book calls the shepherds and the sheep of Christ to reconsider their rush into media driven ways of doing church contrary to God’s ways.Read this Berean’s response to Bible movie mania:Showtime for the Sheep?The Church and the Passion of the Christ, by T. A. McMahon, available now in paperback and e-book.Information on how to order in just a moment.We offer a variety of teaching materials that will help you expand your knowledge of God’s Word, from books and tracts to audio and video recordings, CD-ROM, our website and much more.For a complete list of materials, or to get a copy of today’s broadcast, write to us at POB 7019, Bend, Oregon97708.Call us at our toll free order number 1-800-937-6638, that’s 1-800-937-6638, or visit our website at www.thebereancall.org. If you would like a copy of this broadcast on compact disk ask for Program #3108, and be sure to mention the call letters of this station.And if you would like to watch Dave and Tom, our weekly broadcast is available on DVD, ask about a subscription when you contact us.You can also download both audio and video podcast at our website.Get a pen or pencil ready, we’ll repeat our contact information in just a moment.

Next week we continue our series of programs based on Dave Hunt’s book, Seeking and Finding God, and, Has your love been put to the test?In Religion in the News, Man sues church over Holy Spirit injury.We’ll take a look at that story and address the question:Attacks on The Shack? we hope you can tune in.If you have questions or comment about this program we urge you to contact our offices.Search the Scriptures Daily radio ministry is made possible by God’s grace, your prayers and your financial support.I’m Gary Carmichael and for Dave, Tom, and everyone here at The Berean Call, I would like to thank you for joining us, and invite you to tune in again next week.In the meantime, if you desire to know God’s truth, search the scripture daily.You’ve been listening to Search the Scriptures Daily, a radio ministry of The Berean Call.For more information about The Berean Call, contact us at POB 7019, Bend, Oregon97708, call our toll free order number 1-800-937-6638, that’s 1-800-937-6638, or visit our website at www.thebereancall.org. Join us again next week for Search the Scriptures Daily featuring Dave Hunt and T. A. McMahon.