Matthew 3:1-2

We'll be looking at just two verses this morning in Matthew chapter 3.

Matthew 3 · chapter mention

Matthew writing, he says, in those days, John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness,

or that is the desert of Judea, and he was saying, repent, for the kingdom of heaven

is at hand.

Would you bow with me and ask God to help us this morning?

Heavenly Father, Lord, we thank you once again as we enter into this time where we desire

to hear from heaven, Lord, your word is food, Lord God, it nourishes us, Lord, your Son

is the bread of life.

God, would you show us him this morning?

Would you help us to understand this text?

Lord, would you help us to understand the nature of your kingdom and entrance into it?

And Father, Lord, we need you this morning.

Lord, we desire not to make much of a man, Lord, we desire to make much of Christ.

We desire his preeminence, that all glory, all lot, all honor might be unto him.

Father, all the distractions of the morning with the loss of power and other things that

were confronting us, would you help us to put those things aside?

And Lord God, we pray by your spirit that you'd give a single-minded devotion and attention

to the sacred text, and Lord, we'll thank you for that in Jesus' name, amen.

I'm sure that every one of us have at some point had the experience of waking up to a

very annoying alarm clock.

I mean, because of the stillness of the morning, I believe the alarm is even more jarring.

I mean, I don't know if you noticed this, but everything seems louder amidst the quietness

of sleep.

When all is silent, and I mean really deathly silent, then every noise, every sound can

be heard more clearly.

Now, keep in mind as we're in Matthew chapter 3 that everything in Israel had been silent

Matthew 3 · chapter mention

for 400 years by the time we get to Matthew chapter 3.

Matthew 3 · chapter mention

What do I mean by that?

There'd been no voice from heaven.

There had been no prophet that had arisen to come on the scene preaching.

There were no Isaiahs.

There were no Jeremiahs.

There were no Hoseas.

There was no new revelation from God at all had come for 400 years.

Then suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, amidst the quietness of 400 silent years, there comes

a thundering prophet with a jarring message.

He's a wilderness man, a desert man, and he's dressed in funny clothes, and he's preaching

a message of repentance to Israel.

And he's saying the kingdom of heaven was at hand.

Now, it's interesting, Matthew 2 to Matthew 3 skips completely over Jesus' childhood.

We don't have a record whatsoever of anything that our Lord was doing in his childhood other

than a few events that Luke records, but Matthew doesn't record them at all.

Chapter 2, we see Jesus as a baby at most a toddler.

Chapter 3, a full-grown man at this point.

And Matthew simply begins saying, in those days.

So he skips effectively decades of our Lord's life.

Now because there had been no sign from heaven, no voice from heaven for 400 years since the

last prophet had died, the Jewish expectation was that the next prophet to appear would

somehow have great messianic expectations.

Heaven had been so silent, surely the next prophet must tell us something about the Messiah.

So when this prophet burst on the scene, messianic expectations just skyrocketed.

Now that desert man or that wilderness man's name was John, and they called him the Baptist

because he called people to repent and then signify their repentance in baptism.

Now Matthew tells us that this ministry took place in the wilderness of Judea.

The problem is when we, in our location, when we think of wilderness, we think of Lake Vesuvius

area.

It's not.

It's not a wilderness like that.

It's the desert.

This is a desert area.

This is an area outside of Jerusalem between the Dead Sea and the Jordan River.

That's where John was.

Now John is preaching a singular message.

Repent.

That's it.

I mean we'll look, Lord willing, look at that next week.

Turn around, amend your ways before God.

Now that would make sense if he were preaching to Gentiles, but he's not.

He's preaching to the Jewish people.

Now why was he preaching this message?

And he said, this is the reason why you all better get ready, why we need to repent.

The kingdom of heaven was at hand.

The kingdom of heaven is near.

Now Matthew is the only gospel writer.

He uses the phrase kingdom of heaven about 32 times in this gospel.

The other gospel writers, Luke, Mark, and John, all use the phrase kingdom of God.

Now there is no difference between kingdom of heaven and kingdom of God.

They mean the exact same thing.

So why does Matthew use this phrase?

Well keep in mind, Matthew is a Jew writing to Jewish people, and so instead of writing

the divine name out of Jewish sensibility, he would actually use a circumlocution.

He would use another word.

He used heaven.

Also probable here, keep in mind, that Matthew is writing to a group of Jews and he doesn't

want them to misunderstand the nature of the kingdom that's being proclaimed.

Remember, this is first century Israel.

All the Jews, when thinking the Messiah, would be thinking of a restoration of an earthly

kingdom that would be delivered in from Roman rule and reestablished the Davidic dynasty.

A son of David would arise and sit on David's throne.

So doubtless, when they heard about the kingdom at hand, their thoughts would immediately

go to an earthly, physical kingdom that's going to bring in political freedom.

That's just the nature of the culture in which they lived.

So Matthew also, using this phrase, he doesn't have to use the divine name.

He also is letting them understand the nature of this kingdom.

It is a heavenly kingdom.

Now today, what I find is that there are many pastors who will preach about the kingdom

of God, but there are many Christians sitting and listening who don't really understand

what that means or what it even refers to.

We hear it all the time.

Now there are some, there are many today, who erroneously teach that Christ came, he

offered a physical kingdom to the Jews, they rejected it, so thus the kingdom is postponed

and it's only for a future event when the Jewish people fully embrace the Messiah.

And I'm suggesting that is an error.

And I want to prove that to you today.

So what do, now that's partly true, there is going to be coming a physical kingdom,

but there's a kingdom today.

So what do the scriptures mean when they refer to the kingdom of God?

Well, first of all, the word kingdom is the Greek word basalaias.

You see the word basilica there, it's basalaias and it simply means kingdom, dominion, or

even rule.

So basalaias would be the territory that is subject to the rule of a king.

It's the right of a sovereign to rule over someone.

In the Old Testament, we see often God pictured as the heavenly king who has the right to

rule over all creation.

You see this all the time, but I'll give you two places.

In Psalm 145, we read this, all your works shall praise you, O Lord, and your saints

shall bless you.

They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and talk of your power to make known the sons

of men his mighty acts and the glorious majesty of his kingdom.

Your kingdom, speaking to the Lord, is an everlasting kingdom and your dominion endures

throughout all generations.

Psalm 103.19, the Lord has established his throne in heaven, his kingdom rules over all.

It's very clear.

God is king and he rules over all the earth.

He rules over all the cosmos.

In 2 Kings chapter 19, we read this, Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said, O Lord God

2 Kings 19 · chapter mention

of Israel, the one who dwells between the cherubim, you are God, you alone of all the

kingdoms of the earth, you have made heaven and earth.

God as creator has the sovereign right to rule over all people at all times in all places.

God has never lost and never will lose his sovereign rule over his creation.

Everything belongs to him by divine right.

God is king and he will always reign.

But something happened when man listened to the serpent's lies and fell into sin.

Now at that time in Genesis 3 when man sinned, God never lost his power, but there was now

alienation from God.

Disease and death entered into God's creation.

There is a sense in which Satan in a limited way was now ruling the kingdom of this world

over fallen creation.

Now in the beginning when God created mankind, he created Adam and Eve, he had given them

dominion, that's the word dominion, to rule and reign over the created order.

That was a task given to them.

But in Adam's sin, he abdicated his authority to Satan who is now ruling and exercising

his dominion in this fallen world.

Now you're like, that sounds a little funny to me pastor.

Well I say that because what the Bible teaches.

In Luke chapter 4 when Satan is tempting our Lord, listen to what he says, then the devil

Luke 4 · chapter mention

taking him, Jesus, up on a high mountain showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment

of time.

And the devil said to him, all this authority I will give you and their glory for this has

been delivered to me and I give it to whomever I wish, therefore if you will worship before

me, all will be yours.

Now some say that's a lie, but Satan or Jesus didn't correct him.

But notice this carefully, all this authority I will give you.

So somehow there was an authority that had been given to the serpent at that time.

John Piper says in his sovereignty, God considered it wise as part of the curse on the world

after Adam and Eve sinned to give Satan a huge power in this world.

Authority was given, exousia, but not ultimate authority.

God has always held ultimate authority over all including evil men, including Satan himself.

Now we can see that very clearly in the book of Job.

When Job is there, a righteous man before the Lord, Satan wants to attack Job.

He wants to bring accusations against him, he wants to bring trial upon him, but Satan

could not do so until he first got permission from God to do it.

So Satan does hold some jurisdiction over man, but he holds nothing over God.

Now so I want to be clear here.

I am not suggesting or saying there are two ultimate powers in the universe, God and Satan,

light and darkness, and they're fighting it out to see who will win.

No there's not, there's only one ultimate authority.

God has no opposite.

God is creator and everything else is created including Satan himself.

So one power or authority that Satan has had to be delegated, relegated to him, given to

him by God to accomplish God's own purpose.

Now let me show you this again, 1 John chapter 5.

1 John 5 · chapter mention

John writing, we know, he's talking in church, we know we're of God and the whole world lies

under the sway of the wicked one.

So the whole world, what's he mean the whole world?

He's not talking about the trees and the grass.

All unredeemed mankind, fallen man, is under the delusion and the deceptive influence of

Satan.

They're blinded by him.

Second Corinthians chapter 4, Paul writing, even if our gospel is veiled, it is hidden,

2 Corinthians 4 · chapter mention

it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the God of this age has blinded, who

do not believe, lest they would see the light of the gospel, the glory of Christ, who is

the image of God and it should shine upon them.

Satan's power lies in his ability to deceive sinners and he blinds them to the glory of

God found in Christ.

So that's one of the reasons you can tell a Christian from a non-Christian.

Do they see in Jesus the glory of God?

If they don't, they're blinded.

Ephesians chapter 2, we'll go on, Paul writing in the church of Ephesus, and you, he has

Ephesians 2 · chapter mention

made alive, he's quickened you, he's regenerated you, who were dead in trespasses and sins,

that's where we all were, in which you once walked according to the course of this world

and I notice according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works

in the sons of disobedience.

But I think the most instructive verses are what our Lord says in John 14.

In John 14.30, Jesus said, I will no longer talk much with you for the ruler of this world

is coming and he has nothing in me.

Jesus himself says Satan is the ruler of this world.

In 16.11, John 16.11, Jesus then says the ruler of this world is judged.

So I notice what our Lord's calling him.

He's calling him the ruler of this world.

Again, he's the ruler of this world.

That does not mean the universe.

God is the ruler of the universe, but Satan is the ruler of this evil world system.

This fallen world in rebellion against God.

God still retains all power over all people, all things.

But Satan has sway, has influence, has deception over the nations of the world, over this wicked

world system that's still rebelling against God to this very day.

So that's where his power lies.

He deceives and he keeps people blinded from seeing the truth.

So look at the titles.

He's called the God of the Sage, the Prince of the Power of the Air, the ruler of this

world.

So clearly there is a sense in which Satan does have some authority and has created his

own kingdom that's a kingdom of darkness.

Now you and I know from the beginning, before Adam and Eve ever were created, we know in

heaven there was an attempt by Satan to dethrone God and of course it failed and he was kicked

out of heaven.

And then he comes to earth and that same attempt also failed.

Why?

This is the gospel.

Because the Lord Jesus dealt the death blow to Satan at the cross.

Colossians chapter two.

And you being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision in your flesh, he, Christ,

has made, God, excuse me, has made alive together with him, with Christ, having forgiven you,

having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements

that was against us, which was contrary to us, he has taken it out of the way, having

nailed it to the cross.

Notice verse 15, having disarmed principalities and powers, he made a public spectacle then,

even triumphing over them in it.

That's a wordy statement, isn't it?

At Calvary, Paul writing to the church at Colossi says, the Lord Jesus Christ disarmed,

defamed, took away the power of Satan, the principalities and powers, how?

By wiping out, that is, canceling all the requirements that were against us.

How?

The weapon that Satan used that was always effective was to accuse us before God because

of our sin.

God is a holy God, Satan brings accusation, and we are condemned.

But Christ, our Lord, took all the punishment that was due upon our sin at the cross, and

thus there was nothing left for Satan to accuse us of anymore, so he was disarmed.

No accusation sticks, the punishment has been born.

Christ took it.

The weapon that he used was now destroyed, and so it's ineffective now.

So as we think about the kingdom of God, we understand, yes, God is king over all creation.

We also understand in a very limited sense, there is a kingdom of darkness, and Satan

rules in the lives of unbelievers.

The Lord Jesus, he came to rescue his people from the dominion of Satan by giving or bringing

the decisive death blow to Satan.

How?

Through his own death and resurrection at the cross of Calvary.

Now we go back to our text in Matthew 3, John the Baptist says, listen Israel, repent.

The kingdom of heaven, it's near.

Why?

The king was right there.

The king had come.

So what about this kingdom of heaven then?

What is it?

Now we already said at the beginning, God certainly reigns over all, but if that's all

that we were talking about, that wouldn't make sense for John the Baptist to be preaching

the kingdom of heaven is near since God reigns over all.

It's always been near.

So he's speaking about something different there.

Sproul says at the heart of this theme is the idea of God's messianic kingdom.

It is a kingdom that will be ruled by God's appointed Messiah, not just redeemer of his

people, but king.

Let me just say it this way, not just savior, but Lord.

So when John speaks of the radical nearness of this breakthrough, the intrusion of the

kingdom of God, he is speaking of the kingdom of the Messiah.

So John the Baptist, the first prophet in 400 years comes on the scene.

That's a jarring message.

Y'all need to repent.

Why?

The king that you've waited for is near and you better get prepared for his arrival.

How do you prepare for the king that's holy?

You repent.

See the kingdom of God is the place where God's rule is welcomed and cherished.

Because of mankind's rebellion, this world system lies under the influence of the evil

one.

So right now when we talk about the kingdom of God, it is in the hearts and lives of God's

people.

So currently when we're talking about today, June 2nd, 2024, the kingdom of God is a spiritual

rule in the hearts and lives of those who willingly submit to God's authority.

So what does it mean to submit to God's authority?

You submit to the Lordship of Jesus.

He rules as king, as Lord in your life.

You willingly confess Jesus is Lord.

Now but we look through the pages of the holy scriptures and it is clear whether you look

at the Old Testament, whether you look at the New Testament, it is obvious that the

full kingdom that God spoke of is not simply or merely a spiritual kingdom in the hearts

of his people.

That's what it is right now.

But do you remember in the Lord's Prayer?

Here's how our Lord taught us to pray.

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Christ is teaching us that there is something of a future kingdom that yet awaits us and

the saints have always been praying that God would make that future hope a present reality.

We want the kingdom in its fullness.

So after our Lord was raised again from the dead, we don't give much emphasis to this

as Protestants and we ought to, he ascended into heaven for his coronation in his ascension,

in his session.

The Lord was crowned.

He was invested as King of Kings and Lord of Lords in his ascension.

So that means right now, today, June 2nd, our Lord Jesus Christ is ruling and reigning

from the highest seat of authority having been given all power, he said, all authority,

all exeusia in Greek is given to me both in heaven and on earth.

There is no authority, there is no power that does not fall under the jurisdiction of the

Lord Jesus Christ.

So let me just say this, we dare not say Christ will reign, no.

Rather, he is reigning right now from heaven and his reign is being done in his church,

in the lives of his people.

One of our jobs as God's people is to make the invisible kingdom visible by our lives.

Read the Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 5, 6, and 7.

So when Christ came at his first advent, the kingdom of God was inaugurated through his

own victorious atoning work, through his death, through his burial, through his resurrection.

And yet, there still awaits a future consummation of the kingdom when Christ returns.

All enemies at the second advent, all his enemies will have been completely dethroned,

deposed, and defeated.

And at that time, there will be a new heaven and a new earth in which the saints of God

will forever live with our Lord in unfettered glory.

This is what we call the consummated kingdom.

Christ returns, all enemies are vanquished, there's a new heaven and earth, and the kingdom

of God is with the kingdom of man and it is one and the same.

We are forever living with Lord.

This is the kingdom that we're hoping for.

This is what we're longing for.

That kingdom which there are no tears, there is no pain, there is no more death.

That's it.

Now, again, this is all scripturally backed up.

Do you remember the night on which our Lord is betrayed?

He instituted the Lord's Supper, Matthew 26.

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it.

He gave it to the disciples and said, take eat, this is my body.

And he took the cup and gave thanks and gave it to them saying, drink it, drink it, all

of you.

For this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many, for the remission,

the forgiveness of sins.

But look at verse 29.

But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until there's

a future.

That day when I drink it new with you where? in my Father's kingdom.

The sacrament of the Lord's Supper is a, it's a pledge of many things.

But one of the things is it is a pledge to God's people of the eternal happiness we will

share in when we are assembled in the fullness of Christ's kingdom.

Friends, do you get weary?

Do you look and say the world is like, it's just on fire right now?

All will be made well.

We are reminded of that at the sacrament.

This communion cup tells us the Lord Jesus, he is reigning in the lives of his people.

Who are his people?

Those marked out by baptism.

Now obviously it's faith, but the people who have faith get baptized.

And thus he will reign victoriously and completely over all the nations and over all people one

day.

Right now he's ruling over his people.

There's still rebellion out there, but it won't always be that way.

So this kingdom of God when we speak of it has an already present, not yet consummated.

So an already not yet aspect.

The kingdom is already inaugurated.

It has begun.

The King came at his first advent, but it's not yet fully consummated.

That awaits when our Lord returns again.

So this is what's so exciting about this.

The inauguration when Christ came, when John the Baptist said the kingdom of heaven is

at hand.

Not yet, because the King is right behind him.

But the consummation will take place when what?

The King is at hand again when the King returns a second time.

Now here's the important part.

To whom is the kingdom of God given?

If this is where God reigns and this is what we mean by the sphere of salvation, you need

to know something.

To whom is this kingdom given?

Luke 12, 32, Jesus speaking.

Do not fear little flock, it is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Okay now notice the text there.

The kingdom is given to the sheep who belong to Jesus.

In fact Jesus said God the Father is happy to give the kingdom to Christ's sheep.

So the million dollar question is, well who are Jesus's sheep?

They're the ones for whom he died.

John chapter 10 verse 11, Jesus said I am the good shepherd.

John 10:11

The good shepherd gives his life for whom?

For the sheep.

Verse 15, I lay down my life for whom?

For the sheep.

Well then how do you know if you are one of Christ's sheep?

I mean that's the most important question.

Verse 27, Jesus said my sheep, they hear my voice in the gospel and I know them and they

follow me.

And I give them eternal life and they shall never perish and neither shall anyone snatch

them out of my hand.

Do you see what he's saying?

Christ's sheep hear his voice and they follow him in obedience.

They obey him.

This is what our Lord was getting at in Matthew 5 called the Sermon on the Mount.

I'll look at two verses there.

Matthew 5 verse 3, Jesus said blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom

Matthew 5:3

of heaven.

That's an indicative statement.

He does not say make yourself poor in spirit.

He's just pronouncing a blessing.

Blessed are those who are poor in spirit.

Why?

The kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

So poor in spirit, that means poverty of spirit.

The Greek word is tokas, it's bankruptcy.

So the scribes, the Pharisees, the leading religious officials of the day, they thought

so highly of themselves and their own righteousness because they were keeping the law.

Surely God was smiling upon them.

Surely God was happy with them and their own attempts to be righteous before him.

But Jesus said just the opposite.

The poor in spirit, that's a poverty of arrogance.

These people are not boasting of their own personal righteousness before God.

They understand how holy he is and how unholy we are.

And Jesus said blessed are you.

Blessed are the poor in spirit.

Because if you're there, the kingdom of God belongs to you.

But look at verse 10.

He said blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is, present

reality, the kingdom of heaven.

Now he doesn't say blessed are those who are persecuted.

You can be an idiot and get yourself persecuted.

He said blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for being righteous.

This is the persecution that comes from being aligned and associated with Christ.

Last week we looked at that missionary couple, that young couple that died in Haiti by gang

violence.

Why?

Because they were part of Christ.

Once more our Lord says these people belong to the kingdom of God.

It's theirs.

It's their possession.

Their place in the kingdom though, now get this or you're going to mess it up.

Their place in the kingdom is not because they were persecuted or even willing to be

persecuted.

How do you get into the kingdom?

Luke 6 just told us.

It is your father's good pleasure to give the kingdom.

It's a gift.

Their willingness to suffer for Christ and his kingdom is a sign that they already belong

to him.

These people, the poor in spirit and those who are being persecuted, they place God's

kingdom and God's interest above self.

Do you see it?

So the kingdom of God, when we're talking about it, it's comprised of those who know

they're not purchase me right, personally righteous.

They understand that Christ is and in their poverty they turn to Christ in faith to be

clothed with his righteousness.

This sheep hears voice.

They hear the voice of Christ telling them, come to me in childlike faith and in trust.

And here's what his says and guys, we have to understand this.

They follow him in obedience to the point of being willing to suffer if it needs to

be.

These people won't deny Christ.

So we've learned what the kingdom is.

We've learned what it will be.

We have seen those who make up the kingdom of God.

How does one enter to the kingdom of God?

John chapter three, Jesus answered and said, most assuredly I say to you, unless one is

born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

You can't even see it, let alone enter it.

You have to be born again.

The guys listen, every one of you, if you're going to enter the kingdom of God to the sheer

salvation, you must be born again.

What does that mean?

Look at verse five.

Jesus said, unless one is born of water and the spirit, you don't enter the kingdom of

God.

The new birth is a birth of water and spirit.

Water and spirit speak of a new birth that results in spiritual and inner cleansing of

the sinner.

This is what the prophet Ezekiel spoke of in Ezekiel 36.

God speaking there, he said, then, go to that next slide.

Then I will sprinkle clean water in you and you shall be clean.

I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you.

I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and you will keep

my judgments and you will do them.

This new birth, John 3.5, the new birth is an act of God in which he regenerates or he

makes you alive.

You were dead in trespasses and he adopts you in this family, making you a child of

God.

But I want you to notice what's absolutely essential.

Ezekiel says this is all done by God.

Who is the subject?

Who is the one making you clean?

The active voice here, the subject is God.

I will sprinkle clean water upon you.

I will cleanse you.

I will give you a new heart.

I will put a new spirit within you.

I will take away the stone heart.

I will give you a heart of flesh.

I will put my spirit within you.

I will cause you to walk in my statutes and the result is you will keep my judgments and

do them.

Do you see it?

God is the one who accomplishes the new birth.

It is humanly impossible.

You can't make yourself born again.

Sometimes you see a track, how to be born again.

God's got to act on that.

Salvation is a monogistic work.

That means it's accomplished by God alone.

To enter into this kingdom of God, which is the sphere of salvation, it requires a supernatural,

an act of God inwardly cleansing your soul, which can only be done by the Holy Spirit

of God.

That's it.

As sinners, rebels, we need it to be cleansed from our sin.

That's what water signifies.

And give a new life.

That's the spirit.

If you're impure, if you're spiritually dead, you can't enter the kingdom of God.

You need to be born again.

And this new birth changes you from one, a child of darkness, to a child of light.

God gives you a new heart.

He puts His Spirit within you so that your desires and your affections change.

If your desires and your affections did not change, there's very good reason for you to

question whether or not you've been born again.

He says He's going to do it.

I will cause you to walk in my statutes and my judgments.

And then we pray with the saints throughout the ages, thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done.

There's one other thing left for us in the kingdom.

I didn't develop it well because I knew I was going to run out of time, but we'll look

at it next week.

God gave these men, these disciples, a commission.

They were to go around preaching the gospel of the kingdom of heaven.

Friends, we have an opportunity, a task, a commission, an obligation laid upon us.

We preach Christ the King has come.

The sphere of salvation is open to all who understand their own spiritual bankruptcy.

You're not righteous before God.

You've broken His law and you deserve to be condemned.

But God lifts your eyes and He opens your heart and He shows you the glory of Christ.

The one that took your sin and died upon that cross was buried and rose again.

Friends, do you see it?

Do you see in Jesus the glory of God?

Do you freely confess Him as Lord?

Praise God for the new birth that He has accomplished, for that is a work of God.

You and I, friends, get to go preach this message, the good news of the gospel of the

kingdom.

The King has come.

And friends, I would be remiss if I didn't say He's coming again.

But the second time He doesn't come offering salvation, He comes in vindication and judgment.

Today is a day of salvation.

If you will bow your knees before this glorious King whose name is Jesus, you confess your

sin, He will receive you in His kingdom and give you eternal life.

Let's pray.

Father, Lord, I'm so very thankful, Lord, for Your word.

It does instruct us and it helps us, Lord.

God, would You help us this morning, Lord, as we pray?