Followers of the King

The calling of Christ's first followers is a perfect picture of grace (Mark 1:16-20). Jesus did not go to the rabbinical schools to find those qualified to be His followers. No, Jesus went to the shores of the Sea of Galilee and found fishermen in the midst of their labors. But Jesus didn't call these men in a vacuum. If you have read the first chapter of John you know that Peter, Andrew, James, and John have already met the Savior and put their faith in Him. This is not a call to salvation. This call is to service. Why did Jesus call these men and not others? I think the answer is found in 1 Corinthians where Paul says: “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence (1 Corinthians 1:26-29).” In the same way that we are called to salvation, we are called to serve our King. Every Christian is called to serve Christ our King.


For instance, Jesus calls you to His service by His grace. We cannot be called into the King's service, but by His grace. There's none of us that are qualified to serve our Lord. Not only are we worthy of rejection, we are worthy of execution. But, just as “...by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God... (Ephesian 2:8)”, it is by God's grace that we are called to serve our Lord and King. Christ has chosen the ordinary to do extraordinary things.  Although some, like Paul, were called with multiple abilities, most are like Peter who was basically an uneducated fisherman. Nothing much is expected of ordinary people by those around them, but Christ expects and demands much from them. We should expect much from ourselves in our service to our Lord and King.


Another thing that you need to know is that Jesus calls you to His service to be a demonstration of His grace. “That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:7).” Early Christians were for the most part poor, uneducated, and even slaves, but by the grace of God they spiritually conquered the Roman world in three hundred years. And they did this without riots, rebellion, or war. In fact, the spread of Christianity took place as the result of almost constant persecution. The first great expansion of Christianity occurred as a result of the persecution by the hand of Saul of Tarsus. “Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word (Acts 8:4).” These were ordinary people, because the apostles remained in Jerusalem. Such is the amazing grace of God in calling us to service.


The most important reason that Jesus calls you to His service is to glorify God. “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).” You may wait on tables like the first deacons. Or, you may serve God by being a stay at home mother who by example and instruction lead her children to the knowledge of Christ. For each of us the ultimate goal is that God should be glorified in the proclamation of the gospel to this generation. “And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:11).”


Each and every believer is a disciple that is called and ordained to serve. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10).” Lets follow the example of Paul: “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me (1 Corinthians 15:10).”

The Kingdom of Heaven, Part Two

 “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matthew 4:17).”

Jesus called all people to repent so that they would be able to enter into the kingdom of heaven. And He preached to them the gospel of the kingdom. “Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God... (Mark 1:14).” We face a problem in the proclamation of the gospel of the kingdom. That is the presence of another kingdom that resists the kingdom of heaven. These two kingdoms can't live together without conflict. One must supplant the other. And so it is that the kingdom of heaven is in conflict with the kingdom of our age – the kingdom of this earth.


The kingdom of earth is the prominent kingdom of our present evil age. Everyone of us were born into this kingdom and most people will never know any other kingdom. This kingdom also has a king, the prince of the power of the air, Satan. His kingdom began with the fall of man in the garden and will continue until the end of the age. Just as Satan fooled Adam and Eve, he has fooled his followers in believing the lie. We can have a hard time understanding what this kingdom is liked as Christians, because we still live in it. The most clear examples of what this kingdom is like is found in the world just before the flood and in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah found in Genesis. Of that generation before the flood, the Bible says, “The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence (Genesis 6:11).” And of Sodom it says, “...the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly (Genesis 13:13).” And so it is today. This kingdom of the earth is corrupt, sin-filled, and violent. And, just as He judged Sodom and Gomorrah, God has judged and condemned this present evil age.

But there is another kingdom, and that is the kingdom of heaven. It is the kingdom of God's rule from heaven in the affairs of men. The purest form of the kingdom of heaven is the eternal reign of Christ, but there is a sense in which the kingdom already exists. Jesus said of this kingdom that, “The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it (Luke 16:16).” The kingdom exists with those that are called the children of the kingdom (Matthew 13:38). These are the saints – those that have put their faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. These have come out of the kingdom of this world and have entered by faith into the kingdom of heaven. They were once “children of disobedience” just like everyone else (Ephesians 2:2; 5:6; Colossians 3:6). Each of them have turned from Satan to follow Christ and have left the kingdom of this earth for the kingdom of heaven. This all takes place through God and His grace “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son... (Colossians 1:13).”


The children of the kingdom of heaven are engaged in battle against the kingdom of earth. This is a holy war fought, not with carnal weapons such as guns and swords, but with spiritual weapons as is described in Ephesians chapter six. And the reason for this is that “...we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6:12).” And because it is a spiritual battle we do not take up arms to promote. Our Lord and King has determined that we fight the enemy with the proclamation of the gospel. “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come (Matthew 24:14).” As Christians we must always remember that, although we fight in this war, the outcome is not ours. The battle is the Lord's and He has already won. We fight on, not to redeem this world, but to redeem souls from Satan's dark kingdom. “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them (2 Corinthians 4:4).”


Each of us are either in the kingdom of this earth or the kingdom of heaven. Once you have heard the gospel of the kingdom of heaven you have a choice. Choose Christ by repenting of your sins and putting your trust in Jesus alone to save you. Then your citizenship will change from the kingdom of this earth into the kingdom of heaven.

The Kingdom of Heaven, Part One

Listen to the message of Jesus: “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matthew 4:17).” From the mouth of John we heard the same words (Matthew 3:2). Now, in the mouth of Jesus, the King of the kingdom, we hear it again and again. In Matthew we hear the phrase “the kingdom of heaven” thirty-two times. In all but one time it is Jesus Himself that makes the announcement. There is no kingdom without a king. With Jesus' presence on earth we have the coming of the kingdom of heaven. The same is true with the kingdom of heaven. Who is the king? The King is the Son of God, for God has so promised the Son. “I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession (Psalms 2:7-8).” If we are going to understand the kingdom of heaven then we must first understand the entrance requirement to enter into the kingdom. So then, the first thing that we should do is look at the word “Repent...”. “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”


What does it mean to repent? The strict meaning of the Greek word metanoeo (met-an-o-eh'-o) is that we are to reconsider or change our minds, but the Bible goes beyond that strict definition. Yes, when we repent we have a change of mind, but we it its a change of mind that results in change of action, direction, and desire. I once followed the leanings of my flesh and the world, but now I have so changed my mind that I now follow Christ my Lord which results in wanting to please Him in every way. The only way to describe this is the way Jesus did. We are born again. Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3).” “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:12-13).”


Some of you may say, “I thought that we are saved by faith.” We are saved by faith and we are born again by faith, but faith is intimately tied to repentance. In fact, faith and repentance are so united that there's no true faith without repentance. Neither is there true repentance without faith. Both are together in the one that is born again. We have turned from idols to serve the living God (1 Thessalonians 1:9). Our faith is no longer in the world, religion, or our own self-righteousness. We are no longer working to get to heaven, but, because we have put our trust in Jesus Christ, we are working on our way to heaven. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:8-10).”


Repentance is the prerequisite for entrance into the kingdom of Christ. No one is a part of the kingdom of heaven by merit. All have entered into the kingdom of Christ by repentance and faith in Christ. None can say that they deserve to be a part of the kingdom, for all who are in the kingdom have fled from the wrath of God and entered in by faith in Christ Jesus. By repentance we have turned from our madness and foolish rebellion against God. We have turned from the way of death and entered in to the way of life. We have turned from sin, death, and hell through Christ Jesus to righteousness, life, and heaven. And we look for the coming of our Lord and Savior from Heaven to establish His kingdom on this earth.


I encourage you to repent. Let go of all that holds you back from Christ. Cast your sins in repentance behind your back and run to the Savior. “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon (Isaiah 55:6-7).”

Ray Comfort's On the Block