For more information and to purchase the full version of this book by Colin Urquhart visit the Kingdom Faith Resource Centre: http://www.kingdomfaith.com/ResourceCentre
TRUE
Kingdom
C o l i n Ur q u h a r t
Kingdom Faith Resources Ltd. Roffey Place, Old Crawley Road, HORSHAM West Sussex, RH12 4RU Tel: 01293 851543 Fax: 01293 854610 E-mail: resources@kingdomfaith.com www.kingdomfaith.com First published in Great Britain in December 2004 by Kingdom Faith Kingdom Faith Church is a registered charity (no.278746) Copyright © 2004 Colin Urquhart All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior consent of the publisher. Short extracts may be used for review purposes. Unless otherwise stated, Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Internationl Bible Society. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Limited
ISBN 1-900409-61-5
CONTENTS 1.
The Gospel of the Kingdom.
2.
The Great Transfer.
3.
Parables of the Kingdom. The Sower.
4.
Parables of Growth. The Mustard Seed. The Weeds. The Growing Seed. The Yeast. The Treasure. The Pearl.
5.
Kingdom Life Now. The Lost Sheep. The Unmerciful Servant. The Workers in the Vineyard. The Talents. The Tenants.
6.
The Wise and Foolish. The Rich Man and the Beggar. The Sheep and the Goats. The Wise and the Foolish Builders. The Pharisee and The Tax Collector. The Net. The Ten Virgins. The Wedding Feast. The Persistent Widow.
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1 THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM Jesus came with the Good News of the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of heaven. The King of heaven had become man to bring revelation concerning the nature of that Kingdom, and also to make it possible for us to become part of that Kingdom – here and now! In fact Jesus made it clear that if we do not belong to God’s Kingdom while on earth, we will not be able to inherit that Kingdom beyond death! The word ‘Kingdom’ means literally in the New Testament the rule or the sovereign reign of God. So His Kingdom exists whenever He has established His reign in the hearts and lives of men and women. In what is normally called the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us to pray: Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. (Matt. 6:10) This is the desire of God’s heart, to see His heavenly Kingdom established on earth, His will being accomplished here as it is already fulfilled in heaven. So it could be said rightly that the whole of the mission of God’s Son on earth had the Kingdom as
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its focus. He began His preaching and teaching ministry with these words: ‘The time has come,’ he said. ‘The Kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!’ (Mark 1:15) After hundreds of years awaiting the Messiah, God’s Son had come to earth. His Kingdom was therefore at hand, within the reach of men and women who were prepared to repent and believe. To repent is not only to have your sins forgiven, but to turn your life over to Jesus Christ that He might be the Lord of your life; that He might establish His Kingdom in you and enable you to fulfil His will. I tell you the truth, no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again. (John 3:3) To inherit this Kingdom a person must receive a second birth, a birth from above, from heaven; a birth brought about by the Holy Spirit within the believer. Clearly, this is to be an event brought about through repentance and faith in Jesus personally as the Son of God. To receive the gift of God’s Kingdom is to possess eternal life, God’s life NOW, the life of the Spirit, a life that can never end. Even though the body dies the spirit of the believer will live eternally with God and nothing will ever be able to separate him from His love. Jesus said: I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. (John 5:24)
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The wonderful result of being born again is that the believer inherits God’s eternal and heavenly Kingdom! We do not wait until we die physically to inherit that Kingdom. It is to be received NOW, through repentance and faith. Jesus answered His disciples: Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the Kingdom. (Luke 12:32) There is nothing we could ever do to deserve entrance into God’s Kingdom or to earn such a privilege. The Kingdom of God is a gift to all those who truly believe in Jesus and have entrusted themselves to Him. It is to be the reign of God in their lives NOW that will enable them to share in His heavenly glory when they have finished His purpose for them on earth. Jesus explained: The Kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is’, or ‘There it is’, because the Kingdom of God is within you. (Luke 17:20-21) To receive Jesus as your Lord and Saviour is to receive His Kingdom, His sovereign rule or reign within you. It is obvious, therefore, that anyone who has received such a gift is to live accordingly, as one who belongs to God, to His Kingly rule, reflecting this in the manner of his life! The apostle, Paul, says that the Kingdom is ‘righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing God and approved by men.’ (Rom. 14:17-18) We have the Holy Spirit living within us, then, to enable us to live as the children of God who belong to His heavenly Kingdom. This will have practical ramifications now and for our future expectations!
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This heavenly Kingdom is very different from the earthly kingdoms established by men. In fact the principles by which God’s Kingdom is governed are diametrically opposed to the principles by which people live naturally. For God’s Kingdom is a spiritual Kingdom, not a piece of land or territory and God governs His Kingdom by spiritual laws or principles. In the Old Testament we have prophetic promises about the establishing of this Kingdom. Isaiah speaks of the coming of God’s Son: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. (Isa. 9:6-7)
THERE WILL BE NO END TO THE INCREASE OF THIS KINGDOM.
The government of the Kingdom is to be on Jesus Christ’s shoulders. There will be no end to the increase of this Kingdom. Once it is established it will continue to increase in the hearts and lives of more and more people. It will be a Kingdom of justice and righteousness, an eternal Kingdom that will never end. In Daniel we read:
His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. (Dan. 4:34)
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THE POWER AND For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end. (Dan. 6:26) This is not true of the kingdoms of men in this world. One kingdom rises up to conquer and replace another. One dynasty follows after another. But there is an eternal quality, an unchanging quality, to God’s Kingdom. The saints of God, those He sets apart for His own purposes, will receive this Kingdom and will possess it forever.
AUTHORITY OF THIS KINGDOM FAR EXCEED ANY WORLDLY KINGDOM OR OTHER SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY, INCLUDING THAT OF THE DEVIL.
But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever – yes, for ever and ever. (Dan. 7:18) In this Kingdom, which will belong to all who are the born again children of God, ‘all rulers will worship and obey him.’ (Dan. 7:27) The power and authority of this Kingdom far exceed any worldly kingdom or other spiritual authority, including that of the devil. It will be for God’s saints to speak of this Kingdom, says David, that successive generations may have revelation of God’s reign. Your saints will extol you. They will tell of the glory of your Kingdom and speak of your might, so that all men may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendour of your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. (Ps. 145:10-13)
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This is a kingdom where the power and glory of God are to be revealed. Paul said: For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. (1 Cor. 4:20) What a wonderful Kingdom! And if Jesus is your Lord and Saviour, you already belong to this Kingdom. In fact He says it is already within you, established in your heart and life. An eternal Kingdom from which you need never be excluded. A heavenly Kingdom. A Kingdom of righteousness, peace and joy. A Kingdom of power and authority. A Kingdom of God’s glory. And it is yours NOW! This is what Jesus made possible for you in His great love. He wants you to live as a child of this Kingdom, to demonstrate its life and point others to how they too can become participators in this great and glorious Kingdom!
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Other titles in this series include: TRUE AUTHORITY TRUE CHURCH TRUE COVENANT TRUE DISCIPLES TRUE FAITH TRUE GRACE TRUE LIFE TRUE LOVE TRUE SALVATION TRUE SPIRIT TRUE WORSHIP TRUE GOD TRUE HEALING TRUE PRAYER TRUE PEACE & JOY TRUE PROMISE TRUE SONS TRUE LEADERSHIP TRUE REVIVAL
All these books by Colin Urquhart, other titles and teaching materials can be obtained from: Kingdom Faith Resources, PO Box 750, Old Crawley Road Faygate, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 4YA. email: resources@kingdomfaith.com www.kingdomfaith.com
For more information and to purchase the full version of this book by Colin Urquhart visit the Kingdom Faith Resource Centre: http://www.kingdomfaith.com/ResourceCentre