Title
Understanding God’s Kingdom
Scripture
Then He said, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it?”
(Luke 13:18)
Devotional
Before we can understand God’s Kingdom, we must first be a part of it. This is accomplished through the salvation that comes by faith in Jesus Christ, and Him alone. Being in God’s Kingdom does not automatically give you an understanding of it; so here, Jesus gives illustrations to describe it. Christ, in essence, says that the Kingdom of God requires growth and expansion. We are to grow in the grace and knowledge of Him. And, we are to expand His Kingdom through the spreading of the gospel. The Kingdom of God is not a retirement community. It is a working community, where its residences mature and grow. It is an outreach community, welcoming all who would come in through the narrow gate, and that gate is Christ. When Jesus described His Kingdom, He basically said that it is a kingdom of development. It is a community designed to change lives.
Thought For The Night
“It needs to be said loud and clear that in the kingdom of God there ain’t no comfort zone and never will be.” J. I. Packer, Board of Governors’ Professor of Theology at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia, and an executive editor for Christianity Today, “We Can Overcome,” Christianity Today (10-02-00).
Evening Text
Luke 13:18: Then He said, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it?”
Looking for Answers
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Is God’s kingdom yet to come or is His kingdom among us? Consider Luke 17:20-21.
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Where is the evidence of the kingdom of God to be found?
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Are you living in the kingdom of God?
Evening Study Guide
Defining: “The kingdom of God” “is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,” Romans 14:17. “Kingdom” is a governmental term; it signifies the “way” we are to live and be governed. When Jesus taught us to pray He said, “Your kingdom come, your will be done,” Luke 11:2. We must also consider Jesus’ words to Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm,” John 18:36 NAS.
Referencing: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent, and believe in the gospel,” Mark 1:15.
Applying: Live your life as part of God’s kingdom and live with the expectation that the full manifestation of that kingdom is yet to come.