The Commands of the King - Part 7

Today's lesson is called, "The Commands of the King - Part 7." 

Today's command of the King is "Repent and believe the good news."

Read Matthew 4:17; Mark 1:15; Colossians 12:1:12-14

Before getting started, it is important to understand the terminology and some of the background information about why Jesus said this. So first, let's look at the terminology.

• "Repent" means to turn around. In context, Jesus was saying, "turn away from your idols and what you are doing, and turn to God in total allegiance."

• "Believe" means to accept with your heart and mind that Jesus is in fact God's Son and that he is the Messiah/Christ/King.  

• "The good news", in a nut shell, is that there is another King through whom God provided an alternative to our aimless lives of rebellion and alienation from God (see Acts 17:7). Someday we'll look more in depth at what the good news is, but this is basically what it is.

That is the terminology that we need to know, now for the background.

Israel were the people whom God made His own, made a covenant with, and established His kingdom with. However, they continued to rebel against Him by worshipping idols and rejecting Him as their master and King. 

So, He sent prophets to them to tell them to turn away from their false idols and to turn to Him. They told them to repent. However, they refused to listen to their message and they persecuted and killed the prophets.

Because of this, God stopped sending them prophets and He stopped communicating with them altogether. Over 400 years went by without them hearing anything from Him.

Then, kind of out of nowhere, a messenger from God appeared to three of His people! So, they go from not hearing a peep from God, to all of a sudden, three people are visited by His messengers!

The first messenger came to a man named Zacharias. The reason he came was to let him know that his wife will have a child who will, among other things, "turn many of the children of Israel to the King" and to "make ready a people prepared for the King." Their child was named John [the Baptist] (see Luke 1:5-17). 

And then just six months after that, a messenger of God appeared to a young virgin and the man that she was going to marry. He said to them that they were going to have a child who is going to be "the Son of the Highest; and God will give him the throne of David to reign over His kingdom forever". The messenger also said that this child shall be called, "God with us", and that 'he will save his people from their sins" (see Luke 1:26-35; Matthew 1:18-23).

When John the Baptist was older, the Word came to him, and he went all over the region of the Jordan in Israel, proclaiming a message of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (see Luke 3:2-3). He went all throughout Judea saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand!" (see Matthew, 3:1-2).

About a year after John the Baptist was imprisoned by King Herod, the Son of the Highest, Jesus, began proclaiming the very same message as John the Baptist to "the lost sheep of Israel", "Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand!" (see Matthew 4:17; 15:24). 

Both John the Baptist and Jesus were sent as prophets to Israel, over 400 years after they rejected the last prophet Malachi who was sent to them. God said, "They will respect my Son", so He sent him as the last prophet that he would send them, in order to try to get them to turn to Him, but they killed him too (see Matthew 21:37-39).

However, before they killed him, Jesus sent his twelve students out to the lost sheep of Israel and instructed them to say, "The kingdom of God is at hand", which is also part of the same message that he and John the Baptist presented them with (see Luke 10:8-9). He did not instruct them to tell their audience to repent, but he does tell them that if they do not receive them, to say to them, "The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you."

He then said to them regarding those who do not receive them, "It will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city". He goes on to say that many of the cities that he visited and who rejected him, were going to judged and were not going to fare so well, not only because they rejected him, but also because they rejected His Father (see Luke 10:11-16). 

The point is, even though he did not instruct his students to tell the lost sheep of Israel to repent when he sent them out to them, they should have repented when he went to them and they saw the mighty works that he was doing among them (see Luke 10:13). 

So, this is the back story which we can learn from in order to properly apply the command of the King to our lives.

(Below is borrowed in part by Curtis Sergeant, "Commands of [the King]: 6):

Jesus came and has established God's kingdom on the earth, which he reigns over as King with all authority. He has made a new covenant with the people of His kingdom and He has begun the process of restoring creation and seeing his will done on earth as it is above. 

Just as God commanded the people of His kingdom Israel then, he commands the people of His kingdom today, to turn to him and believe by voluntarily having allegiance to Him and aligning our lives with His reign as King. He gives all people whom He created the opportunity to reign with Him over the renewed earth forever, if they turn to Him and believe.

He will right all wrongs and He will fix all that is broken. There will be peace, justice, righteousness, and restoration! All of this is truly good news!

The only alternative for us is to reject his authority and his Kingship, and to continue to live apart from Him, until we are forced to acknowledge these things about him and face the due punishment as his enemies. 

References

From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Matthew 4:17 

and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

Mark 1:15 

giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

Colossians 1:12‭-‬14 

Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king—Jesus.”

Acts 17:7 

There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.

So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 

But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

Luke 1:5‭-‬17 

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.

 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” 

But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” 

Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.

Luke 1:26‭-‬35 

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

Matthew 1:18‭-‬23 

while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins,

Luke 3:2-3 

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

Matthew 3:1‭-‬2 

From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Matthew 4:17 

But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

Matthew 15:24 

Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’

Luke 10:8‭-‬9 

‘The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.’ But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city.

“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.

And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades. He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me."

Luke 10:11‭-‬16 

The Commands of the King - Part 6

You Must be Born Again 

Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 

Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ - John 3:3‭-‬7 

Today's command of the King is, "You must be born again."

Read John 3:3-7.

Being born again is not something that we can achieve on our own, however it is a requirement to enter God's kingdom.

Many people are led to believe that there are no requirements or that God has no expectations for them to enter His kingdom and have eternal life. Those who are leading others to believe this simply want other people to "purchase" Jesus. They present a sales pitch that includes all of the benefits and good things that will happen to you if you buy what they are selling. 

However, as we consider the matter of "being born again", it is important to understand that not everyone can or will enter God's kingdom (see Matthew 7:21). It is only God who draws people to the Jesus, which causes them to want to know and follow Him (see John 6:37, 44-45).

As we produce fruit, it is our responsibility to teach our students to ask for the Holy Spirit (see Luke 11:13), to draw near to God (see James 4:8), to be fully committed to Jesus (see Luke 14:25-33), and to seek Him and God's kingdom first (see Matthew 6:33).

Being born again is an amazing, supernatural phenomenon that can only occur by the power of God. It is truly a miracle! 

Because being born again occurs by the Holy Spirit living in us, it is a Spiritual phenomenon, and therefore the evidence of it is spiritual.

The evidence will be the fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23) as well as the possession of one or more spiritual gifts (see 1 Corinthians 12:7-11).

Before I was born again, I was a very selfish person who cared only about myself. But after I was born again, I was able to love and care about other people. 

Like the prodigal son, I was dead but now I'm alive, I was lost but now I'm found (see Luke 15:24)!

Being born again changes us and causes us to want to live for God. Living for God is what faith is, and is what saves us (Luke 7:50; Ephesians 2:8; Romans 1:17; James 2:26).

If we do not live for God, then we do not have saving faith. This is why Jesus commanded that in order to enter the kingdom of God, we must be born again, because if someone has not been born again, they do not have saving faith. 

2 Corinthians 5:17 states being born again like this:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

We are a new creation and all things have become new! This is exactly what it means to be born again!

Now Go and live for the King!!

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Discussion 

Does anyone want to share their story?

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References 

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. - Matthew 7:21 

All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.

No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. - John 6:37‭, ‬44‭-‬45

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” - Luke 11:13 

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. - James 4:8  

Now great multitudes went with Him.

And He turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’?

Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?

Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace.

So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple. - Luke 14:25‭-‬33 

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. - Matthew 6:33 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. - Galatians 5:22‭-‬23 

But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. - I Corinthians 12:7‭-‬11 

for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry. - Luke 15:24 

Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” - Luke 7:50 

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, - Ephesians 2:8 

For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” - Romans 1:17 

For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. - James 2:26 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. - II Corinthians 5:17 

The Commands of the King - Part 5

Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ” - Mark 11:17 

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Jesus's Command: 

Make my house a house of prayer for the nations and do not make it into a market or a den of thieves.    

Read Mark 11:15-17. The commands are found in verse 17.

When Jesus came in to the city during the final week of His life, He went to the temple, and what He saw infuriated Him. He saw people buying and selling there.

The temple is what is referred to as God's "house". It is His dwelling place. In the kingdom of Israel, it was the place where the priests would meet with God and offer sacrifices to Him on behalf of the people.

The buying and selling that took place there was very offensive to Jesus because God's house was being used as a market rather than for communication with God. The purpose of the temple was to offer sacrifices and to communicate with God.

I'm assuming that some of the merchandise that was being sold there were the animals that were sacrificed for their sin offerings.

I have heard that the people who would travel long distances to the temple would purchase their sacrifice when they got there, rather than bringing it with them from their home.

Because of this, the seller would charge very high prices for the animals, and it was this "overcharging" that made Jesus angry. That would definitely be reason for Him to call His house a "den of thieves." That might be one reason, but I think there are other reasons too. 

First, I wonder if other merchandise that was related to the religion of Judaism was being sold for profit in the temple. Things like merchandise developed by scammers to "help increase their religious experience" or "closeness to God." If so, and I think it is a good possibility that took place, the sellers of this merchandise took advantage of the buyer's gullibility, and profited off of God and His law, which Jesus would not have been pleased with. 

I have to wonder too, if the sellers of these animals, also sold them for the purpose of sacrificing to false deities. I don't know this for sure, but I think this is very likely based on the fact that Israel's trend throughout history was to commit idolatry, and because Jesus said that they were an evil, perverse, and adulterous generation of people. 

There were also Gentiles in Jerusalem and the surrounding area who may have need of animals to sacrifice to pagan gods. Selling animals to Israel for the purpose of sacrificing to the true God, from the same source as animals being sold to sacrifice to false gods, would have been very offensive to God, and would have roused up Jesus's anger.

Next, God had specified certain requirements for the sacrifice to meet. It was required to be "of the heard and of the flock". God commanded this to Israel after leaving Egypt and prior to entering the promised land, therefore the Israelites had a shared herd and flock that they took from for sacrifices and probably for food. 

This was probably not the case at the time that Jesus came. Israel had been scattered by Assyria and Babylon long after God had made that command, so they no longer lived in one location as a single large community or kingdom. Because of this, I don't know exactly what it would have meant for the sacrifice to be "of the heard and of the flock" when Jesus was there, but there is no indication in the Bible that God had changed this or any of the requirements regarding sacrifices under the old covenant. Therefore, I have to go with the assumption that the sacrifice requirements did not change, and that God would have still required that the animal come from "the herd and the flock" owned by Israel, and not bought by a merchant at the market. However, there was a significant change that occurred regarding Israel in general that did effect the sacricial system, that I will explain in a moment. 

If God did require the animal sacrifice to be from the flock or herd of Israel as it was in the time of Moses, but they were purchasing animals at the market to sacrifice, then Jesus may have also been angry at them for disobeying God's command and doing things their own way. Purchasing the animals instead of bringing the sacrifice from their own heard or flock would have been disobedience to God's command.

Furthermore, the animal was required to be a male without blemish. I have my doubts that the animals that were bought and sold at the temple all met the requirements that God set at Mt. Sanai. Though the Jews tried to re-institute the sacricial system that God had put in place for His kingdom of people, their attempts were futile because they did not obey God's commands, and in my opinion, this is likely to be a another reason why Jesus drove out the buyers and sellers at the temple 

As I previously mentioned, there was not a change in what God required of the sacrifice, but there was a change regarding Israel that effected the sacrifice. 

This change occurred when both the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel ceased to exist when they were conquered. With them being conquered and the kingdom of Israel no longer in existence, the sacricial system and the law also ceased to exist because both were given to the kingdom of Israel to set them apart from the other nations as God's holy nation, which no longer existed.

God "divorced" the northern kingdom of Israel and "removed them from God's sight" when Assyria conquered them. Judah had witnessed this, but even so, "they continued in their harlotry" which was not pleasing to God, therefore He sent Babylon to destroy Jerusalem and the temple, and to take the Israelites who resided in the southern kingdom captive. 

Later, a remnant of Israel returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and to reinstitute the sacrificial system, out of which the religion of Judaism was developed over time, between the return of the remnant and the coming of Christ, during which time God had no communication with Israel  

The practices of Judaism, such as making sacrifices to God, were based in part on the law of God's covenant with Israel, but it was developed in large part by the Jews. Since Israel no longer existed as a single community of people like it did when God gave these commands and made the laws of the kingdom, details such as that of sacrifices being required to be taken from "the heard or the flock" had to be altered from God's command in order to make it work within their context. Therefore, even though it may seem like a minor and insignificant detail, it was no longer what God had commanded.

Now, some people probably did not think that there was any problem with buying and selling animal sacrifices or other merchandise in the temple, because it was allowed by the leaders of Judaism. Some people may have thought that they were doing what God wanted them to do because the religion allowed it. 

But the very facts that Judaism allowed and practiced buying and selling in the temple, and that Jesus was angered by their doing so, indicates that they did not ask God if they could do it, and that God did not command them to do it. The fact that they did it on their own reveals the condition of their heart. Plus there was very likely some dishonest profits being made too, which also indicated that their hearts were not pure, but that they did it for monetary gain.

In some parts of the world today, God's people have made His house into a den of thieves, just as they did back then. 

They have merchandised Him and His word for profit. Rather than making His house a house of prayer, they use it to make money for themselves. The Christian music industry is a prime example, as well as authors of books & Bibles, movies, clothing, and pastors who use their influence to make podcasts, videos, books, and merchandise for the purpose of making a profit. 

Though there is nothing wrong with making music, videos, books, etc. in order to glorify God or build His kingdom, it is wrong to merchandise God and His Word for financial gain, and if Jesus were here today, He would drive out the buyers and sellers of this merchandise, just as He did back then.

Today, God's temple is the body of His people, both individually and collectively (See 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 1 Corinthians 6:19; 2 Corinthians 6:16; 1 Peter 2:5; Ephesians 2:19-22).

Though different from the old one, God requires this new temple to also be a house of prayer for the nations and not a den of thieves. Jesus commanded His people:

Make God's house a house of prayer for the nations and do not make it into a market or a den of thieves.  

So that is what we must do. 

The Commands of the King - Part 4

Worship and Serve the Lord Your God Only

Then the devil, taking Him 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.”

And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ” - Luke 4:5-8 

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Before we get started, here are some interesting questions to think about based on Luke 4:5-8:

Was the devil lying about having authority over the kingdoms of the earth, or was he telling the truth?

Would he really have given Jesus authority over the kingdoms of the earth like he promised, or was he lying?

Did he or does he even have the authority to give authority over the kingdoms of the earth to someone else, like he promised Jesus he would do?

We can possibly answer some of these questions in Jesus's response to the devil. 

Jesus did not dispute that the devil had the authority that he claimed. His rebuke to him was in regards to bowing down and serving anyone other than God. 

The gospels say that Jesus was healing and delivering people from demon possession, sickness, and diseases. He was healing the deaf, mute, blind, lame, etc. This indicates that the devil did indeed have authority.

If you think about it, before Jesus came, all the kingdoms of the earth, with the exception of the kingdom of Israel which was led by God, were ruled by the devil. The people of these kingdoms offered human sacrifices to the gods they served, they killed each other, and their kingdoms were not ruled with honesty, integrity or high moral standards. These kingdoms were ruled by evil and the people lived in the darkness.

The people were possessed by evil spirits and these evil spirits caused them to suffer by sickness, disease and death. 

When Jesus came, He began delivering people from the evil spirits that had authority over them. But before that, God had to test Him to make sure that He would remain faithful to Him, so that He would fulfill His mission. 

If the devil's offer of authority over all the kingdoms of the earth was true, and Jesus would have failed the test, then He would have become the devil's servant and He would have ruled the nations in evil and injustice rather than in righteousness and justice. The nations and the world would have remained in darkness. 

But fortunately for mankind that did not happen. Jesus decided that He would not serve the devil, but that He would be a servant of God.

Because of His faithfulness, He was rewarded not only the authority over the kingdoms of the earth like the devil had offered Him, but He was rewarded the authority over all of the universes and everything that was made. He received much more by God than what he would have received by the devil. 

When Jesus began healing and delivering people, He limited the devil's power and authority by binding him so that He could plunder his house. Mark 3:27 tells us this.

"Plunder" means "to take the goods of by force (as in war)".

So for Jesus to bind the devil so that He could plunder his house means that He limited His power and authority in order to take people away from the devil and his authority. We are told in Revelation 20:1-3 that he will be bound for a long time and then be released to deceive the nations again for a short time. 

While Jesus was here, He trained and sent His disciples out to other cities and nations to inform the people of who He was and that He has been given all authority, therefore they are required to worship and serve Him only. If they obey, they will receive the reward of life, but if they refuse, there will be the consequence of death.

By His disciples going to the places that were ruled by the devil, the people were able to hear about Jesus, receive Him, and worship and serve Him, thereby taking people out of the devil's kingdom, and placing them in God's.

They were given the opportunity to hear about something that they never heard of before. They were given the opportunity to bow down and serve the One who is good.

If Jesus did not come or His disciples had not gone, the people of these places would not have heard about Jesus, and they would have continued to live under the rule and reign of the devil. They would have continued to serve him. Darkness would still cover the earth and evil would rule the nations.

But as people receive Jesus, they leave the realm where the devil reigns as their king by no longer allowing him to have authority over them or their lives, because now, Jesus has it. They enter the realm where Jesus is their Master who they worship and serve. 

By people leaving the devil, his realm is being conquered by Jesus, and God's kingdom is growing, until the whole world hears and Jesus comes again to reign on the earth. This is the hope of mankind. 

Serving God only is a command of the King. Not only are all people required to obey His command in order to receive life, but His disciples are required to obey Him because they love Him. Obedience to His commands is a sign of faithfulness and allegiance to Him.

If His disciples worship and serve anyone or anything besides or in addition to God, then their allegiance is not to Him, and they are being unfaithful to Him, just as a husband who loves another woman is unfaithful to his wife. Just as unfaithfulness in marriage is not acceptable to God, neither is unfaithfulness to Him. His disciples must worship and serve Him only. 

The Commands of the King - Part 3

Do not put the Landowner to the test. 

The purpose of a test is to test our knowledge, skills and abilities. 

In school, we are tested to determine if we possess the knowledge to move to the next grade level.

In college and careers, we are tested to determine if we have the skills and abilities to perform the job.

In God’s kingdom, we are tested through difficulties and temptations in order for God to determine if we are faithful to Him and have the ability to persevere through challenges and endure to the end.  

If we fail any of these tests - school , college, career, kingdom - then we won't be promoted to the next level, proven to have the necessary skills or abilities to perform the job, or have the faithfulness to remain with God. 

We might be required to take a re-test, and if we fail again, we might be removed from the program for not possessing the necessary skills, knowledge, or abilities needed to pass the test.

In the kingdom, we might be proven unfaithful, and it may be determined that our heart is not where the treasure is at, so turning back to God is necessary in order to remain with Him.

Though He has the right to test us, we have no right to test Him. He is the Potter and we are only the clay.

We are commanded not to test Him in Matthew 4:7 and Luke 4:12 where we are given the example of when God tested Jesus. God tested Him for the same reasons that He tests us.

Jesus's assignment was extremely important, therefore God had to know that He would have the ability to withstand the immense difficulties and pressures of temptation that He would face, and accomplish the task that He was sent for. 

Therefore, when it was time for Jesus to go to the lost sheep, the Holy Spirit led Him to the wilderness to be tested, to ensure that He would perservere through the tough trials that He would face, and endure til the end. 

During one of His tests, He was tempted to jump off of a building and kill Himself. The devil said that if He was truly the Son of God and threw Himself off of the building, that God's angels would protect Him and would not allow Him to be killed. 

Jesus responded to the devil by saying, "It has been said, you shall not tempt the Lord your God".

What was He saying?

One, He was saying that He is God, and two, that He is not to be tested.

This is a command to His people. So, in order to obey His command and avoid testing Him, we need to know what it means to test Him.

One way is to go somewhere or do something without talking to Him about it first, and then expect Him to help us when we find ourselves in trouble. 

We see this in the passage:

The devil tested Jesus by tempting Him to do something that God would not want Him to do, and then expect God to bail Him out of the trouble that He got Himself into. 

If Jesus would have failed the test and jumped off the building, He would have most likely died and His assignment would not have been accomplished, and mankind would be doomed to destruction. That is why the devil wanted Him to die. He did not want God's plan to succeed. 

But because Jesus was in constant contact with God, and was doing what God wanted Him to do, He knew that jumping off the building was not what God would have wanted Him to do, and that He would find Himself in a lot of self induced trouble if He did. 

We are required to apply this same principle to our lives and obey Jesus's command. We are to remain in constant contact with God and do only the things that He wants us to do.

We are not to test Him by doing things that He does not want us to do and then expect Him to get us out of the trouble that we made for ourselves. 

It is not our job to test God's knowledge, skills, abilities, or faithfulness. We do not have the right. When we do so, we exalt ourselves above Him, and think more highly of ourselves than we ought. 

Taken in part from Kingdom Living: The Commands of Christ by Curtis Sergeant 

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Responses from the group:

• The primary reason that God tests us is to show us that He loves us and that Jesus loves us.

• God tests us to see if we are learning what He is teaching us.

• Don't test God!

The Commands of the King - Part 2

But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’ ” - Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:4 

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We are continuing to look at the commands of the King. 

Today's command is from Matthew 4:4 and Luke 4:4:

Live by every word of God 

This implies that God is speaking to us. 

If He is speaking to us, then we must be able to hear His voice when He speaks. 

We must not only hear Him, but we must listen to Him.

An example is when I have music playing while I am working. I can hear the music playing in the background, but I am not really listening to it. 

But if I want to sing or play my guitar along with music, then I listen to the song so that I can understand what the lyrics are, and how the rhythm goes, and I will often try to understand what the message of the song is. 

When I listen to music, it often stirs my emotions. It brings me joy and makes me want to sing and dance, and I want to share it with others so that they can listen to it also. 

Merely hearing music does not do these things. 

Listening to God's voice is similar. It stirs our emotions and brings us joy. Sometimes it may bring us fear because of what He wants us to do. 

We might have to talk with Him more about it or talk with others about it for better understanding. Listening to Him causes us to want to share Him and what He is doing with others.

These things do not happen if we hear Him but are not really listening. 

An example of this is when we read His word. We might read the words on the page, but we might be thinking about something else, so we are not paying attention to what He is saying. 

In order to hear His voice, we must listen by paying attention when we read and speak with Him.

Listening implies obedience. If we are listening to God, and He commands us to go somewhere or to someone, then we must go.

If we do not go, then we are not really listening to Him because we are not being obedient. We are not following Him if we are not listening to Him or obeying Him. 

The command to live by every word of the Landowner also implies that our very lives depend on His words.

If we do not listen to His words, then we will not have life.

John 17:3 says that knowing God is everlasting life and John 15 says that we must remain in Him in order to bear fruit and have life.

If we do not remain in Him, it will be possible for us to fall away from Him and lose our inheritance of life, because we will spiritually die.

God is our source for life.

John 8:47 provides a reason that someone may not be able to hear God's voice and evidence of someone being a subject of the King:

He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.” - John 8:47 

The following passages provide evidence of someone being a subject of King Jesus:

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. - John 10:27‭-‬28 

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. - Romans 8:14 

Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. - I John 2:3‭-‬6 

The following passage provides reasons why we must listen to God's voice:

However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. - John 16:13‭-‬14 

We must listen because His Spirit will guide us into all truth, telling us only what He hears from God, and what is yet to come. 

The Spirit will receive the things that He will make known to us from Jesus.

(John 16:13-14)

Question: if the Landowner is speaking to us, in what ways do we hear His voice?

Taken in part from Kingdom Living: The Commands of Christ by Curtis Sergeant 

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Responses from the groups:

• 5 steps to lesson 

1. Hearing

2. Listening

3. Paying attention 

4. Obedience 

5. Sharing it with others 

• Concern about being a good listener and follower. 

• Analyze if I am a good follower each day based on what I did that day.

The Commands of the King - Part 1

The dictionary defines a king as "a male monarch of a major territorial unit, especially one whose position is hereditary and who rules for life" (Merriam Webster).

A king is sovereign. He possesses all authority and power. 

That sounds a lot like Jesus doesn't it?!

Jesus is the Christ - the anointed King, and the Son of God  - the Heir, who rules over the eternal kingdom forever. 

If we believe that Jesus is the King, and have made the decision to follow Him, then we will submit to Him and do what He commands. 

In order to do that, we need to know what what He expects of us, and what He commands us to do. 

How can we effectively follow Him if we do not know what His expectations or commands are?

How are we going to teach others all He commanded if we do not know what He commanded?

Many people do not know these things, but attempt to follow Him based on their world view, personal opinions, and presuppositions. This is not submission to Jesus, but rather molding Jesus into their own image. 

Others attempt to follow Him based on what others tell them, such as their pastors, and Christian friends, rather than reading the Bible and talking to God themselves. 

Even though obedience to Jesus's commands are extremely important for Christians, and that teaching others to obey His commands is a command that He has given, churches seldom teach them nor teach obedience to them. 

I believe that knowing Jesus's commands is a priority in order to effectively follow Him and teach others how to obey Him. 

This is what it means to follow Him and to be a Christian. 

We can simplify Jesus's commands by loving God and loving others, but that's pretty broad and general. We can live more effectively and precisely for Jesus if we know what each of His individual commands are. After all, He did command His followers to teach their disciples "ALL THINGS that I have commanded you."

Therefore we are going to be looking at the commands of the King. The list is not my own, but was created by someone else. 

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“If you love Me, keep My commandments."

John 14:15

By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.

I John 5:2‭-‬3

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Matthew 28:18‭-‬20

Children of God

False teaching was already infiltrating the church and influencing the beliefs of Christians by the end of the first century.

The apostle John was aware of it, and it concerned him greatly, so he wrote letters to the churches of which he was overseeing, to warn them of false teachings and to combat the accusations that the false teachers were making, with the truth. These letters are named, 1, 2 and 3 John in the Bible.

John called these false teachers liars and antichrists because they denied that Jesus was the Christ. He said that though they had heard that the antichrist was coming, many antichrists had come into the world and were already here:

Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. – 1 John 2:18-23

John says that whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ and whoever denies the Father and the Son, is the antichrist - 2:22.

John said that “No one who denies the Son has the Father “ – 2:23.

John mentioned the antichrist again later in 4:3: 

and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. - I John 4:3

Whoever does not confess that Jesus came in the flesh has the spirit of the antichrist, who was already in the world at that time.

Part of what the false teachers were teaching, was a heresy called, Docetism, which taught that Jesus only “seemed” to have a human body, denying His full humanity. Docetism taught that Jesus did not have a natural body of flesh, but only a heavenly body. If Docetism were true, then there would be no death and resurrection of Christ. This is why John said what he said in 4:3. There were many antichrists teaching that Jesus did not come in the flesh, in direct opposition to what the apostles had personally witnessed to and were teaching.

These false teachers were a part of the church, but they left it, indicating that they were not ever really a part of it – 2:19.

John had been a disciple of Jesus and was personally appointed by Jesus to be one of His apostles, so he was a witness of everything that Jesus taught and did while he was on earth. Because he was an apostle, his assignment was to tell everyone everything that he saw Jesus do and heard Jesus say.

John was keenly aware of his assignment, and he opens his first letter to the churches with a statement to make it clear to them that he and the other apostles were witnesses of Jesus’s life, death, resurrection and ascension, and therefore they knew the truth of who Jesus was and what He taught:

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. – 1 John 1:1‭-‬3‬

Apparently, another false teachings that was infiltrating the early church was that the spirit is good, and matter, which includes the body, is evil. They also taught that salvation is escape from the body, and is achieved by special knowledge, not by belief in Jesus. These teaching led people to believe that they could live however they wanted, including in sin. Since they believed the body was evil, they believed they did not have to live according to Jesus’s commands. When they sinned, they would punish themselves by causing harm to their bodies. This teaching led to immortality in the church:

This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. - I John 1:5‭-‬10‬

John urged the church to remain in Christ and not to be led astray by the false teachings of the antichrists:

As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is what he promised us—eternal life. I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.

And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him. – 1 John 2:24-29

The final thing I want to mention today is that John describes believers in his first letter to the churches as “my dear children” and “children of God “, and the church as a spiritual family with siblings and a Father. Because of this, we have hope:

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. - 1 John 3:1‭-‬3

Let’s look at some other passages where John refers to believers as “children of God” and the church as a spiritual family. Note that John refers to himself as “The elder “ in 2 and 3 John. An elder is an overseer of the church. John uses language of family for the church that he is overseeing by calling them “My dear children”. He also often uses the term "brother" for spiritual siblings:

“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin.” – 2:1

“I write to you dear children…” – 2:12 x2

“Dear children…” – 2:18

“And now dear children…” – 2:28

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God!” – 3:1

“Dear friends, now we are children of God…” – 3:2

“Dear children” – 3:7

“No one who is born of God will continue to sin…” – 3:9

“he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.“ – 3:9

“This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; not is anyone who does not love his brother.” – 3:10

“Do not be surprised my brothers…” – 3:13

“We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers.” – 3:14

“Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.” – 3:15

“And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” – 3:16

“If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?” – 3:17

“Dear children “ – 3:18

“You dear children “ – 4:4

“Everyone who loves has been born of God “ – 4:7

“And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the savior of the world.” – 4:14

“If anyone says, ‘I love God’, yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.” – 4:20

“And He has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.” – 4:21

“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves His child as well.” – 5:1

“This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out His commands.” – 5:2

“This is love for God: to obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world.” – 5:3-4

“If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death…” – 5:16

“We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him.” – 5:18

“We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.” – 5:19

“Dear children, keep yourself from idols.” – 5:21

The apostle John records Jesus using similar language when speaking with the Pharisee, Nicodemus, in the account he wrote of Jesus’s life:

“I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”

 “How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!”

Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised by my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” – John 3:3-8

Jesus also described the church as a spiritual family:

Then one said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.” But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.” - Matthew 12:47‭-‬50

Though he doesn't use language of family, the apostle Peter said, when writing his letter to Christians who included Jews and Gentiles who had been scattered throughout much of Asia Minor, that believers are a royal priesthood. Royal because we are the subjects of a King - King Jesus.

Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.” Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.” They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they Observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. - I Peter 2:4‭-‬12‬

Conclusion 

God's people are extremely special and important to Him because they are His children and the royal subjects of King Jesus who reigns over His eternal kingdom. 

The apostles John and Peter combatted attacks made against the early church by false teachers.

John described the false teachers as antichrists because they denied that Jesus was the Christ and that He came in the flesh. He said that though they had heard that the antichrist was coming, he was already there, and that those who do not confess that Jesus came in the flesh has  the spirit of the antichrist - an anti-Christ spirit. John is not talking about eschatology here, but false teachers who were present in his day.

Believers who are born again by the Spirit are the children of God and God is their Father. They have a spiritual family comprised of brothers, sisters and mothers who comprise the body of Christ which is the church.

These same believers are also the subjects of the kingdom of God where Jesus reigns as King, making them a royal priesthood. Though not everyone would agree, I believe the church comprises the kingdom of God.

Because God sacrificed His Son Jesus to forgive man’s sin and to reconcile them back to Himself, there is no longer a need for sacrifices, a temple or priests. The old sacrificial system is gone! To restore this system would be an abomination to God, making Christ's sacrifice for man's sin worthless.

Now, Jesus is the Temple, and whoever believes in Him are His people and priests.

There is no longer need for a priest to meditate between God and man, because Jesus is the Mediator of the new covenant, where God’s laws are written in our minds and on our hearts, and where He is our God, and we are His people.

We, who were once living in darkness and were not God’s children or people, are now a chosen generation, a holy nation, His own special people. We are now His children by rebirth through belief in Jesus.

Believers are now the temple of God, where God’s Holy Spirit dwells. All who believe in Jesus are now God’s people, hallelujah!