TO ENTER THE KINGDOM PART ONE

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Doug

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John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.


20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

For the individual Jew, or Gentile, to be justified unto eternal life, one had to believe on the Lord Jesus. One had to believe that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God. This was the gospel during the earthly ministry of Christ. This is the gospel of the Kingdom proclaiming the glad tidings of the prophetic earthly Kingdom of Heaven, the Kingdom of God.



Paul delivered our gospel for today.

1 Corinthians 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

15:2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

15:4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:


Paul preaches the cross. Paul preaches this gospel for both Jew and Gentile. Paul preaches the blood of Christ for the forgivness of sin. Paul preaches the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Paul preaches that Jesus was raised for our justification unto eternal life. This is the gospel we are to simply believe.


Romans 4:25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

There are diffferent gospel messages. God requires faith in the given message at the time. All gospels have different messages but all are established on the basis of the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is always by Grace, by faith, by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Matthew 3:1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,


3:2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

John was announcing the coming prophetic earthly Kingdom. Christ would rule and reign as King on earth for a thousand years. The twelve Apostles would rule with him. The believing remnant of Israel, the little flock, would enter into the Kingdom on earth. The remnant would be kings and priests.

Jesus would likewise preach the gospel of His promised Kingdom on earth.

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


Mark 1:14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,

1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

It can be seen above,from Matthew 4:17 and Mark 1:15, that the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God are the same. However, the Kingdom of God is both earthly and heavenly. In today's dispensation of Grace, the Body of Christ who have believed Paul's gospel will sit in Christ in heavenly places, as seen in the verse below.


Ephesians 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:


Christ taught in the beatitudes the attributes of those who would enter the coming Kingdom. An example is in the verse below.


Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Christ taught that in the coming Kingdom, righteousness was required.


Matthew 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Jesus taught that the believing remnant would be known by their fruits. During the tribulation there will be false believers who will be known by their fruit as well.

Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Not all Israel will enter into the kingdom. Unprofitable believers, who do not bear fruit, will be assigned a place with the hypocrites. This outer darkness below is not referring to the lake of fire, but rather, a place of sense of loss outside the Kingdom inheritance.

Matthew 8:12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Below, John was speaking to the unbelieving Pharisees and Sadducees, and warning them of eternal punishment.

Matthew 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:


3:10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.


Nonbelievers will be cast into eternal fire, as the verses below state.



Matthew 13:49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,

13:50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.



Mark 1:4 John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

John's baptism had several aspects; it was to proclaim the coming Kingdom; to identify Jesus as Israel's promised Messiah; for the remission of the sins of the nation of Israel; to cleanse them from corporate sin; and for Israel to be cleansed to become a nation of priests.


Mark 1:8 I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.

Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

In the verses above, the Holy Ghost was promised to believing Israel.

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Above Peter was preaching the baptism of John's baptism, but he now added being baptized in the name of Jesus. He now expanded John's baptism to include what John said in Mark 1:8, that the Holy Ghost would be given.

This gospel of the Kingdom will also be preached, along with it's component of baptism, in the tribulation.

Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

In the verse above, this commandment will be fulfilled in the future.

16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

In the verse above, the salvation spoken of is not to eternal life; this salvation is a physical deliverance from opression and persecution, and to enter into the promised Kingdom.

Jesus taught the confession of His name. If Jesus's name was confessed among the Jews it could result in persecution. This will be true in the tribulation as well.

Matthew 10:32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.

10:33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

John 9:22 These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.

Jesus taught the selling of all possessions and giving to the poor. In the tribulation the persecuted Jews will not be able to buy or sell unless they receive the mark of the beast. This common distribution would relieve the persecuted saints in the tribulation as well.



Matthew 19:21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.


Luke 18:22 Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.

Jesus taught of the end of the world and the establishment of His Kingdom on earth.

Matthew 24:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

The Jewish believer had to endure to the end and be saved by the coming of the Lord Jesus to provide deliverance from persecution and the antichrist. Saved to enter into the Kingdom; it was a physical deliverance.

24:14 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.

Once again the gospel of the Kingdom will be preached, as seen above.

28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Now, in the above verse, it can be seen that baptism is once again a component in the tribulation. Now, it is in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.