Citizenship in The Kingdom of God
Turn to Ephesians chapter 2….
Today I would like to talk about our citizenship in the kingdom of God
We have rights and privileges in the kingdom of God
We may live on this earth….
but we are not of this earth….
We are citizens of the kingdom of God
LISTEN
God has delivered and translated us into the kingdom
Ephesians 2:1 (NKJV)
1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,
We were once did in Sin
Aren’t you glad that
you are not dead in your sins any more
Ephesians 2:2 (NKJV)
2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,
At one time you and I were under the authority of the devil
We had a wrong nature
living in rebellion
rebellion and disobedience
Ephesians 2:3 (NKJV)
3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
That sounds like me before I made Jesus as Lord
That’s who we were…
That was the lifestyles Satan had for us
Ephesians 2:4 But God,
Remember
… never take the but God out of your situation
The devil says
1. you’re not going to make it………. but God
2. You’re going down this time…………. but God
3. Your prayer is not working this time…………. but God
Ephesians 2:4-9 (NKJV)
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
Notice this: made us alive together with Christ
6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
When you give your life to Christ…
He wants to show his grace in kindness to us
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Q: Did you notice here that God took you out of the picture…
So you couldn’t mess it up
Ephesians 2:10 (NKJV)
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
1. God has a path for us
2. He has prepared good things for you and me
3. And he has done it with his grace and mercy
Ephesians 2:11 Therefore remember
When the enemy is coming in like a flood..
Remember what it was like before you make Christ Lord
Ephesians 2:11-12 (NLT)
11 Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts.
12 In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope.
Now that’s a bad situation
Ephesians 2:13-18 (NLT)
13 But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.
14 For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us.
15 He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups.
16 Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.
17 He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near.
18 Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.
Ephesians 2:19 (NLT)
19 So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family.
We are joint heirs…
With all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family.
Fellow citizens
Everything that God has promised I have all right to
PASTOR MIKE!
What are we talking about here….
Your citizenship is in the kingdom of God now
Colossians 1:12-13 (NKJV)
12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.
13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
It says to give thanks…
Because he has made us partakers
of the inheritance of the saints in the light.
We are to rejoice because ----We have
1. redemption …in him
2. forgiveness of Sin
3. been placed under the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ
4. We are no longer under the power of darkness
5. We are under the authority… Of the kingdom of His Son of His love
Q: What does that mean for you and me?
A: It means that God has placed you in His Kingdom
… And has given you a King
That means that Jesus is… Your Sovereign Lord and King
Colossians 1:13 (NKJV)
13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
Notice: into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
The kingdom of God
…. Is the rule or the region
… Or the rule of God is exercised
A Kingdome is a certain area
that has been designated under the authority of the King
To have a kingdom you have to have a King
So God made Jesus Christ.. King of Kings and Lord of Lords
And his dominion in your life
His authority and his rule is in your life!
Over in the book of Luke…
The Pharisees asked when the Kingdom of God will come
Luke 17:20-21 (NKJV)
… He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation;
21 nor will they say,
