Topic
Kingdom of God
6 sermons · All topics
The Ascended King
Daniel 7:13–14 presents the Son of Man receiving everlasting dominion, glory, and a kingdom from the Ancient of Days — a vision that finds its fulfillment not in a yet-future event but in the ascension of Christ following the perfection of His mediatorial work. The passage is read as the restoration of the dominion forfeited by the first Adam, now conferred upon the last Adam who succeeded where the first failed. Four heads structure the exposition: the identity of the one who receives the kingdom, the identity of the one who grants it, the nature and scope of the kingdom conferred, and the unshakable confidence this reality affords kingdom citizens. The sermon closes with a call to praise the ascended King and to pray for the advance of His kingdom with confidence that it shall never pass away.
Free Grace Baptist Church - December 16, 2018 PM
John 18:28–40 presents the trial of Jesus before Pontius Pilate as the occasion for Christ's most direct declaration of his royal identity and the nature of his kingdom. Working through the hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders, the bewilderment of Pilate, and Christ's own two-fold answer in verses 36–37, this exposition argues that Christ's kingdom does not originate from this world but nevertheless encompasses it, advancing not by military force but by the sword of truth. The sermon draws Isaiah 9:6–7 and Daniel 2 into the Advent season to show that the child born in the manger was born precisely to reign, and calls hearers to receive and treasure the truth by which that kingdom is extended.
The Royal Purpose in the Incarnation
John 18:37 records Jesus declaring before Pontius Pilate, 'For this cause I was born,' identifying the incarnation with a royal purpose — he entered the world as king. This sermon expounds John 18:33–40, tracing the nature of Christ's kingdom (not originating from this world, yet encompassing it), the method by which that kingdom advances (through truth, not military force), and the prophecy of Isaiah 9:6–7 that illuminates both the king and his everlasting dominion. The listener is called to receive the truth Christ embodies rather than dismiss it as Pilate did.
2 Samuel 2:1-11
David's ascent to the throne in Hebron, narrated in 2 Samuel 2:1–11, unfolds as a tale of two kingdoms: one established under divine guidance and one inaugurated by human ambition. The passage exposes the sharp contrast between David's humble dependence on God's direction and Abner's self-serving rebellion against the declared will of Yahweh, a rebellion that constitutes open defiance of God himself, not merely of David. David as a type of Christ illuminates the characteristic marks of the kingdom of God — its apparently insignificant beginnings, its ethic of kindness, and the relentless opposition it faces in every age. Kingdom citizens today are called to constant dependence on Scripture, confident expectation in the kingdom's ultimate victory, and a conscious rejection of the self-ambition that characterises those who oppose God's rule.
The Conquering Power of the Davidic Son
Matthew 12:22–30 presents the healing of a demon-possessed, blind, and mute man as the occasion for a decisive confrontation over the identity of Jesus as the Davidic Son. The multitudes ask whether this could be the Son of David; the Pharisees respond by attributing Christ's power to Beelzebub. Jesus refutes this accusation with two arguments — a divided kingdom cannot stand, and the Jewish exorcists the Pharisees approve operate by the same power Christ claims — then draws three implications: the kingdom of God has arrived, the strong man has been bound, and there is no neutral ground. The sermon calls hearers to reckon with the absolute antithesis between the two kingdoms and to flee by faith to the conquering Davidic Son.
Jesus Was Born to Reign
Christ's appearance before Pontius Pilate in John 18:33–38 forces a confrontation with the nature of his kingdom and his identity as king. The sermon examines three particulars from this exchange — the issue Pilate raises, the clarification Jesus gives, and the response Jesus offers — showing that the incarnation is inseparable from the crown: Christ was born not merely as a helpless infant but as the eternal king whose kingdom originates not from man but from God, and whose conquest advances not by military power but by truth. The passage calls every hearer to reckon with the sovereign reign of Christ and to believe the gospel, knowing that what one does with Jesus determines one's eternal destiny.