Speaker: Pastor Lukus Counterman Series: Standalone Messages
Just before Christ ascended into heaven, his disciples asked, (Acts 1:6) “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom…” The kingdom they were wondering about was the kingdom in which Jesus Christ would be universally acknowledged as King of kings and Lord of lords. They were longing for the physical, earthly, Messianic Kingdom. In Scripture, the “kingdom” is presented in three ways. There is a universal kingdom in which God is presented as the sovereign ruler of the world from beginning to end (Psalm 145:10-13) “All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD… they shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power… Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your domain endures throughout all generations.” There is also a spiritual kingdom in which Christ rules as Lord and king in the hearts of redeemed believers (Col. 1:13) “He [God] has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.” But there is also a messianic kingdom in which Christ rules as king in a literal and physical realm here on earth (2Sam. 7:12-13) “I will raise up your offspring after you [David], who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom… I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” This morning we will be focusing in on the Messianic kingdom, but if we wish to accurately understand the kingdom, the journey starts by accurately understanding the King.