Pastor Tim Dunn "Kingdom of God" (Sunday 4-27-25)

Welcome to Life City. This podcast was created to celebrate

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is to reach the hungry, the hurdy, and the hopeless.

God has given us our heading. Join us today as

we listen to the Word and we pray that God

speaks to you in this message.

I'm glad that you're here. Amen. Amen. Isn't the Lord good? Amen?

I just have one thing I want to ask you

today as we look at the word of the Lord

and I share with you what I feel the Lord

is shared with me. I just ask you to be obedient,

not to me let me clarify, but to the unction,

to the urging, to the nudging, to the voice of

the Spirit. Today, that's all I ask. If you will

obey his voice. Amen, He'll move, hallelujah. I made a

promise a few weeks ago not to try and make

certain commands and service, and I've done decently in my

own opinion. The reason that is is, I don't want

this to be a Simon says Church. Amen, even though

my name isn't Simon. I don't want this to be

you responding because I asked you to Amen. That's not organic. Amen.

Hallelujah.

I want you to respond and feel the liberty. That's

the key. Feel the liberty to respond to the nudging

and the voice of the spirit because you feel him

speaking and you feel him nudging, and because it's just

an organic response to what you feel God moving you

to do. Amen. That's what I want. Amen. And when

that kind of when there is a obedience to the

move and the word of God in any gathering, whether

it's on a Sunday or a Thursday or a Wednesday,

it doesn't matter. When there's that organic response of obedience,

he's able to move, and he's able to perform miracles,

he's able to work. Amen. Lives are changed. Amen. When

that happens. Amen. And so I would just urge you

and ask you just that's all I hope for. Amen.

All right. So, last Sunday we celebrated his resurrection. It

was Easter. We talked about your own resurrection. Wednesday. This

past Wednesday evening we looked at a conversation between Jesus

and Mary after his resurrection. Today, I want to look

at what Jesus talked to the disciples about before his ascension. Amen.

That's what I want to do. Amen. You guys right

here getting blinded by this light? Aren't you all right here?

We got I know it's gonna mess up our national

televised broadcast, but that's all right, everybody like right here's going? Amen?

Sorry about that, avl Amen. Let's go to the Book

of Acts. I like this book Acts, Chapter one, verse one.

If we're gonna start somewhere, let's just start at the

beginning Acts. Chapter one, Verse one says the former account

I made, oh, Theophilis. I've always loved that name. If

there is ever a Bible, that is the coolest name.

If I had a son, my wife would have not

let me name him Theophilis. I would have tried, though

the former account I made O Theophilus of all that

Jesus began both to do and teach verse two until

the day in which he was taken up, after he,

through the Holy Spirit, had given commandments to the apostles

whom he had chosen verse three, to whom also or

to whom he also presented himself alive after his suffering

by many infallible proofs, basically saying, look, there's the holes

in my hands, there's the holes in my feet where

they pierced me. Those are the proofs that he made.

This last phrase, this last little sentence is where our

focus is going to be today, being seen by them

during forty days. So he spent forty days after his

resurrection and before his ascension, he spent it with his disciples.

There were some things that took place in there, speaking

things pertaining to the Kingdom of God. Amen, we're gonna

talk about the Kingdom of God, hallelujah. Verse three is

where I want to dive in, especially that phrase speaking

of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God. We

all know what pertaining means. It means concerning a certain subject.

It's about, it's touching a topic. Is what that word

pertaining means. So he was talking to them concerning or

about or touching this topic of the Kingdom of God.

But that word kingdom, that's where I want to hone

in on. I will admit that there have been for

the most part of my life, I thought that he

was talking to them about heaven. But as I begin

to dig, and I'm not saying he didn't talk to

them about heaven, I believe he did. But as I

begin to look at that word kingdom, it presented a

whole new meaning of this phrase speaking of the things

pertaining to the Kingdom of God. The use of the

word kingdom here in this phrase is really not actually

talking about an actual kingdom for that or where New

Testament was written in Greek because between the Gospels, Alexander

the Great came through and conquered that area of the world,

and so in his conquering everybody, they began to the

schools and all of that began to teach Greek. So

that's why the New Testament was written in Greek. The

Greek word for kingdom is basilia bassilia, and this is

what it means. This is what was interesting to me.

It means a royal power, a royal power. It means dominion, rule,

and authority is what that word kingdom basilia means. And

so if we take that meaning from that Greek word

is our reference point. Jesus wasn't talking to the Deciple

peoples about an actual kingdom of heaven or a kingdom

on earth. He was talking to them about his power

and his dominion and his authority, the authority of heaven

on earth, the power of Heaven on earth. Amen, that's

what he was talking to them about. It wasn't not

necessarily the physical or spiritual kingdom of Heaven, as we

think a kingdom like the kingdom of ancient days. But

he was talking to them about his rule and authority. Amen.

So let me show you a little bit here of

how this plays out, Matthew, Chapter four, verse seventeen. Jesus

is speaking here, and from that time Jesus begins to say,

pen for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Leave

that up. That word kingdom here is the same Bassilia

word as an acts one, which changes the meaning of

this to make it even more powerful. What Jesus wasn't

saying necessarily, if we follow the explanation of the of

we follow the wording and the definition of the wording.

He wasn't saying repent for the actual Kingdom of Heaven

is at hand, to where as in revelation the Kingdom

of Heaven would come and rule on the earth. That's

not what he was talking about. He was basically telling

them repent for the one who has the power to

forgive is here. Amen. You remember when they let the

feller down through the roof, and he looked at them,

and they let him down because he needed healing, right John,

he let him down because he needed healing. And they

Jesus him and he commended their faith. But then he

spoke to the man. He says, your sins be forgiven.

And they were all flabbergasted. How can he forgive sins?

Only God can forgive sins? And you know what they were, right, Amen.

Jesus looked, he heard them, and he understood their thoughts,

and he says, he says, what is it easier to

heal than it is to forgive sin? And so here

Jesus says, repent for the one who has authority over sin,

dominion over sin is standing before you. Amen. It wasn't

an actual kingdom. It was a kingdom of power and

authority and rule and reign. Amen. That's what Jesus was

talking to the disciples about. He spent forty days telling

them how to use his power, how to walk in

his power and his authority. Amen. Because he understood they

were men, and men is a general term. I'm not

talking about just a man men women alike. Men have

Let me say this, mankind, okay? Does that make everybody

feel comfortable? Mankind? Mankind has the tendency to abuse, power

and authority. Jesus, understanding this, says how to walk. So

he spends forty days with them, and this is important

to understand because it brings a different understanding of what

they were doing. In these forty days. Jesus was talking

about his power and authority. Why why was this so important?

Because of what we find in Acts Chapter one in

verse eight. Pull that up Acts one in eight he says,

but you shall receive power. Everyone say power. Amen. After

when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you're

going to be witnesses unto me a man in Jerusalem

and in Judea and Samaria, and to the end of

the earth. Amen. His time together with his disciples was

to prepare them to teach and to preach the power, dominion,

and authority of the Holy Ghost. Amen. They were going

to be walking in the power of the Holy Spirit.

They needed to know how to walk in the power

of the Holy Ghost. They needed they needed to understand

what it means to be led by the Spirit. They

needed to understand what it means to hear the voice

of the Spirit. They needed to understand what it means

to yield that hour and that authority on a daily

basis because we have a tendency to abuse those kind

of things. And so he was bringing an understanding to

them of how to walk by the spirit and after

the spirit. Amen. And I believe the same thing is

needed today. Amen. We need teaching and preaching of how water. Amen.

The Holy Ghost is still being poured out. Amen. The

prophet Joel's statement of I will pour out all flesh,

I will pour my spirit upon all flesh has not

been completed yet. As long as there are people that

have not been baptized in the power of the Spirit

of God, that prophecy is still alive and relevant, Amen.

And it's still needed in our life today. There is

a need for the Spirit of God to be poured

out upon people every single day. Amen. And so it's

relevant for the teaching and the preaching. And so he

was speaking of the things pertaining to the royal power, authority,

and rule of God. And this was all going to

be possible in men and through men by the baptism

of the Holy Spirit Verses four through five of Acts One.

And being assembled together with them, he commanded them to

not depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise

of the Father, which he said, you have heard from me.

I've talked about it. I've told you about it, I've

instructed you. Verse five says for John truly baptized with water,

talking about John the Baptist, you shall be baptized with

the Holy Spirit not many days from now. Amen. And

so he needed to spend that time with them to

instruct them to bring understanding. Amen. I've wondered as the church.

When I say, I'm not speaking of any one specific church,

has the church forgot how to walk after the Spirit? Amen?

The reason I asked that question is because if we

we're walking after the spirit, I believe there are things

that we would see that we aren't seeing. I still

believe in miracle, signs and wonders. Amen. I still believe

he's a healer and he can heal. I still believe

that on the laying of hands miracles can take place.

I still believe that spirits can be spoke to and

be cast out. I believe in that authority. Amen. And

if the Church of the Living God isn't using that authority,

we need to go back and start talking about the

things pertaining to the rule of head. Aren't talking about

and studying and teaching and preaching and speaking and praying

about the things pertaining to the power and authority of

God Almighty. Amen. Because we are overcomers, Amen. So why

aren't we living overcomers? Amen? And so I believe the

church needs to get back to that. Let's go to

Acts chapter eight. I want to show you something. Hallelujah,

Acts chapter eight. But when they believed Philip as he

preached the things sounds very familiar concerning the Kingdom of

God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and

women were baptized. So Philip goes and he starts preaching

the things concerning the power of God, the authority of God,

the Gospel message. He starts preaching this. He starts telling

them they can have forgiveness of sins. He starts telling

them they can be washed by the waters of baptism.

He starts telling them that they can live an overcoming life,

that they don't have to bow to sin, that they

can live a life without sin. Amen. And they believe him.

Imagine that they believed him. And then Simon himself also believed.

This is God's telling you about And when he was baptized,

he continued with Philip and was amazed seeing the miracles

and signs which were done. Verse fourteen. Now, when the

apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria, Oh, Samaria,

that place, those people that loved the Jews didn't like them.

They liked it when they heard that Samaria had received

the word of God. You see this is there's a

key in that verse right there. It doesn't say that

when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria

had been preached the word of God. It says had

received the word of God. There's a big difference of

the word of God being preached and the Word of

God being received. Amen. You can be somewhere where the

word God is preached and leave the same, But when

you receive the Word of God, you're never the same. Amen.

You can be somewhere where the spirit of God is

moving and leave the same. When you receive the Spirit

of God, your life is forever altered in that moment. Amen.

And So when the disciples and the apostles heard that

these people of Samaria had received the word of God,

man send Peter and John go. And so Peter and

John went, who when they had come down, that they

might receive the Holy Spirit, for as yet he had

fallen upon none of them, and they had only been

baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, Verse seventeen.

Then they laid hands on them and they received. They

laid hands on them, and they received. Hallelujah. Amen. We

as the Church, we are the continuation of the acts

of the apostles and disciples that we find here. The

preaching of the things concerning the power of God still

must be preached. Amen. Do we believe that the things

concerning His authority and His rule must be preached, They

must be lived. They must be taught. Amen. And it's

not only on platforms and behind pulpits amen. It must

be lived every single day in us. Amen. Amen. We

can't leave the preaching and the teaching and the living

of the Spirit of God to platforms and pulpits Amen.

It must go with you every place you go. Amen.

You must carry the power of the Spirit with you,

that power that changed your life, that power that altered

your direction in your life. We must carry it. It

must be carried by it been baptized in the name

of Jesus. Every life that has been resurrected by the

baptism of the Spirit of God. Amen. That's you. That's you.

So here's a convicting question. Are you doing that?

Hallelujah?

Are you doing that? All right? So whatever your answer

to that question is, let me serve up another question.

If you're not, why not? Amen? Why not? Hallelujah. This

world needs the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Amen. That's

what this world needs. Why Because the baptism of the

Spirit unlocks his power and his authority and his dominion

and his reign in our life. Amen. There are things

that can only be overcome by the power of the

Spirit of God. Amen. There are things that we have

no authority over until we are filled with the power

of the Holy Spirit. Amen. That's why it's necessary today. Amen.

The Holy Spirit is still being poured out day. Do

we believe that? Amen? There is still a need in

this world for that new birth exp spirits. Amen, hallelujah.

Fifty days after the ascension of Jesus, the Holy Spirit

is poured out the day of Pentecost. Pentecost means fifty

fifty days after his ascension or after his resurrection resurition.

The Holy Spirit is poured out and it hasn't stopped.

It hasn't stopped, It hasn't dried up, It hasn't lost power.

It hasn't lost an ounce of authority. It hasn't lost

an ounce of its ability to change lives. Amen. It's

still just as powerful today as it was that day

in Jerusalem when it fell on one hundred and twenty

gathered in the upper room, Amen. It still has the

power to influence cities. It can influence the city of Weatherford,

just like it did the city of Jerusalem. Amen. And

it can be preached in homes, just like it was

preached in the home of a gentile man named Cornelius,

and his entire family received the spirit of God because

a man named Peter stood there. That can still happen today. Amen.

That needs to happen today. Amen, because his power is

life changing. Amen. It's not just something that we do.

This is not just something for those that refer to

themselves as Pentecostal. Pentecostal is nothing but an experience of

the new birth of the Holy Spirit. Amen. That's all

it is. Amen. John five, Jesus says most assuredly, I

say to you, unless one is born of water and

the Spirit, he cannot enter into the power and authority

of God. Right changes the way it reads, doesn't it. Amen.

Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he

is not gonna walk in the heavenly places. Right. Unless

one is born of water and the Spirit, he is

not gonna have the power, the authority, and the dominion

of God available. Amen. There is a place of authority

and power that is only available through the baptism of

the Holy Spirit in your life. Amen, Because the baptism

of His Spirit carries with it and anointing. Amen. It's

an anointing of an overcoming spirit. Amen. That empowers you

to prevail over every enemy. Amen. That empowers you to

conquer every territory that God directs you into. Amen. There's

not a place where the Spirit of God can't yield

its authority through you. We are the tenth Spirit. Amen.

Every place our feet step, the Holy Spirit goes with

us and before us. And so when we walk into

a place, we are walking in the spirit of the

Living God. And as we walk in the Spirit of

the Living God, we walk in His authority. Amen. I

want my wife to come. Hallelujah, hallelujah.

Yeah.

That authority, the Spirit of God gives us the authority

to loose and bind in the name of Jesus. Whatever

you bind on earth is bound in heaven. Whatever you

lose on earth is loosed in heaven. Amen. Understanding this

word kingdom, doesn't it change the Lord's prayer? Thy Kingdom Come,

Thy Power, Come, Thy Authority, Come, Thy Rule Come, Amen,

Thymnion Come. Isn't that what we want? We want his

power to come. We want his authority to come. We

want his rule to come. Amen, Thy Kingdom Come, Thy

will be done.

Amen.

On earth, as it is in heaven, a kingdom authority

is mediated by the Holy Spirit. It's through the authority

of the indwelling Spirit of God you're able to speak peace,

be still to the storm, and it listens.

Why that authority, that dominion, that only happens by the

power of the Spirit of God.

Inside of us.

Would you stand with me?

Hallelujah.

There's no reason, there's no reason why any of us

should leave this place bound, fearful, shameful. Why because the

Spirit of God is in this place.

Hallelujah.

Amen, What have you used that authority for? Have you

used it at all? Amen? Be this building without seeing

a change in your life, because His spirit is still

filling lives.

Hallelujah.

His spirit is still empowering, still moving, still directing, still teaching, heymen,

still changing the hurting to heal, the hopeless to hope,

and the hungry to fulfilled. Hey man, That's what his

spirit is doing every single day. So why not you?

Why not you? What do you need the Spirit to

do in your life today?

Hallelujah, hallelujah.

Whatever it is, why don't you just begin to talk

to him right now? Why don't you call on the

Lord right now?

Hallelujah.

Is there's something in your life that you need to

exercise authority over, begin to speak in the mighty name

of Jesus, hallelujah. The Kingdom of God is in this place.

The power of God is in this place. Hallelujah. His

authority is here. You don't have to leave bound by

fear and anxiety. Hallelujah. You can live and you can

leave here free.

Thank you so much for being with us today. We

hope you were blessed in some way by the message.

To learn more about us, check out www dot Mylifecitychurch

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Mylifecitychurch dot org. Thank you once again for joining us

and we hope you have a great week.