Good Morning, Greetings… A series of lessons on “The Blessings of Christianity.” Last week we looked several things concerning this idea “Blessings.” (SLIDE) We notice the word “blessing” means: Praise worthy benefits bestowed by God. We noticed there are two types of blessings “physical and spiritual.” This week we are going to begin to look at some of those “spiritual blessings” found in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). One of the blessings of being in Christ is that we are part of “the kingdom of God.” (SLIDE)

M a t t h e w 5 : 3 Brethren when we consider the spiritual “praise worthy benefits bestowed by God” could there be any more appropriate place to start then the very first spiritual blessing we receive. When we obey the gospel we are “added to the kingdom of our Lord and Savior” (Acts 2:47)!!! This kingdom is a blessing because…(SLIDE)

It Has A Worthy King Could there be anyone “more” worthy than Jesus? Jesus is worthy of the kingdom because “His kingship is inherited.” Matthew 1:1-16; Luke 3:23-31 Even the two blind men know this truth (Matthew 9:27)

Matthew 9:27 “And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, ‘Have mercy on us, Son of David.’ ” His inheritance to the throne is undeniable!!!

It Has A Worthy King Jesus is worthy of the kingdom because of His sacrifice for it. Revelation 5:12

Revelation 5:12 “…Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” Jesus sacrificed heaven for this kingdom “we” belong to (Philippians 2:7). (Jesus emptied Himself) “He set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a servant.” He is worthy of being our King. Jesus sacrificed himself on the cross for this kingdom “we” belong to (Revelation 5:12) He is worthy of being our King. (SLIDE) In fact Jesus is so worthy of being our king that we find Jesus given the title “King of kings” (Revelation 19:16). (SLIDE)

Revelation 19:16 “On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”

It Has A Worthy King This all proves that the kingdom is our Lord’s kingdom, not ours. Thanks be to our God above for that!!! Brethren you and I are not worthy to call this kingdom ours nor do we find anyone in the Holy Writ calling the kingdom theirs, no we only find it properly characterized as its kings (SLIDE)

Luke 22:28-30 “You are those who have stayed with me in my trials, 29 and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, 30 that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

John 18:36 “Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world John 18:36 “Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.’ ” Brothers and sisters let us rejoice in knowing we are spiritually blessed to be a part of Christ’s kingdom!!! Christ’s kingdom is a spiritual praise worthy benefit not only because it as a worthy king but because… (SLIDE)

Christ-Minded Members It Has Christ-Minded Members Remember each of us have been taken from the domain of darkness and placed into the kingdom (Colossians 1:13).

Colossians 1:13 “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son” Peter called this domain of darkness the “defilements of the world” (2 Peter 2:20). Whether we go to Alaska, India, Europe, or any other place we can find “Christ-Minded Members” of the kingdom we are a part of. How cool is that!!!! (SLIDE)

Christ-Minded Members It Has Christ-Minded Members We can find our brethren in the kingdom all over the world because we have all been instructed to “be in fellowship with God and each other” (1 John 1:6-7).

1 John 1:5-7 “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” This is why Paul was so adamant to our Corinthian brethren (1 Corinthians 1:10). (SLIDE)

1 Corinthians 1:10 “Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”

Christ-Minded Members It Has Christ-Minded Members To be clear I’m not saying everyone in the our Lord’s kingdom is “Christ-Minded.” Even those in the kingdom have the choice to be righteous or not, to legally minded or liberally minded toward God’s Word (Ga 5:4; 6:1-2). When our brethren in the kingdom miss the mark and fall from grace it is indeed a sad, heart breaking truth. However, the joy of knowing all the doctrinally sound should far outweigh knowing the doctrinally unsound. Just because there are those in the kingdom that fall away we cannot allow that to overcome our joy of being in the kingdom with all the other “Christ-Minded” members. (SLIDE)

M a t t h e w 5 : 3 Brothers and sisters our Lord and Savior has bestowed upon each of us the blessings of the kingdom. Let us be a people that shout for joy in knowing that blessing!!!

God’s Plan of Salvation Study God’s Word Have Faith In Jesus Repent/Turn To God Confess Jesus As Lord Obey The Gospel Live A Faithful Life Romans 10:17 Hebrews 11:6 Acts 17:30 Matthew 10:32 Romans 6:3-5 1 John 1:7

God’s Plan of Salvation Study God’s Word Romans 10:17

Romans 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

God’s Plan of Salvation Study God’s Word Have Faith In Jesus Romans 10:17 Hebrews 11:6

Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”

God’s Plan of Salvation Study God’s Word Have Faith In Jesus Repent/Turn To God Romans 10:17 Hebrews 11:6 Acts 17:30

Acts 17:30 “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent”

God’s Plan of Salvation Study God’s Word Have Faith In Jesus Repent/Turn To God Confess Jesus As Lord Romans 10:17 Hebrews 11:6 Acts 17:30 Matthew 10:32

Matthew 10:32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.”

God’s Plan of Salvation Study God’s Word Have Faith In Jesus Repent/Turn To God Confess Jesus As Lord Obey The Gospel Romans 10:17 Hebrews 11:6 Acts 17:30 Matthew 10:32 Romans 6:3-5

Romans 6:3-5 “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.”

God’s Plan of Salvation Study God’s Word Have Faith In Jesus Repent/Turn To God Confess Jesus As Lord Obey The Gospel Live A Faithful Life Romans 10:17 Hebrews 11:6 Acts 17:30 Matthew 10:32 Romans 6:3-5 1 John 1:7

1 John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”