What Is God's Kingdom | Explaining My Thoughts

Below is my transcript from the video, however I had a few sections hit the editing floor. Watch my video first and then come here for an expanded version of my thoughts. I’d also love to hear yours too so please share them with me in the comments.

I’m sure you’ve heard it said, "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” Matthew 6:24

Jesus actually spoke those words, but why was it important for Him to tell us this and why should it even matter to us? 

In this video I'm not gonna talk about money.

What I AM GOING TO DO is share with you a quick thought and challenge how you think about God’s Kingdom AND apply it to your life right now. 

By the way, YouTube tells me 71% of you guys watching my videos are not yet subscribed. So if you please tap that subscribe button, that will make sure you are the first to know when I drop a new video and it really helps my channel get seen by more people. If you want to know it instantly when I upload a new video, click the bell icon next to the subscribe button and it will actually send you an alert so you know right away. Thanks… I appreciate you… Now let's get on with our video! 

So in that Matthew 6:24 verse was Jesus telling us that money is bad or what to do with money? Kinda… sorta… but not really.  Money can certainly get a hold on us. Money puts us into its Debt Kingdom. 

Money wants to matter to us. 

God wants to matter to us.  

When we honestly look at our lives, which one actually matters to us more?

Today it’s all about our heart! Who or what owns it? I think this is what Jesus was talking about in that verse about serving two masters.

LORD’S PRAYER

In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus famously says-- and I KNOW you know this, so say it with me:

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:9b-10

Let's highlight the part where he says: your kingdom

A couple questions to think about are: Where is God's kingdom? Or I believe a better way to ask is WHAT is God's kingdom? 

Today, let's talk about that WHAT part-- not the WHERE part. The WHAT part of His kingdom is being present and accomplished here on earth… In us, through us, and around us. 

SO WHAT IS GOD’S KINGDOM?

Of course, there are many interpretations for what, where, and when is God’s Kingdom. Here’s mine.

God is omnipresent… Meaning He is everywhere. So God’s Kingdom is everywhere since he is omnipresent. But I actually believe God’s Kingdom is much more than a geolocation. 

I believe God’s Kingdom is His heart. And His heart was manifested through Jesus.

Again, there are many different interpretations or even plausible definitions for God's kingdom, but this is why I think God's heart is His kingdom. 

Jesus tells us to seek God first. In fact, He wants our heart to long for Him. And this is why he talks about money because our heart attaches to money and what it represents, which gets in the way of us seeking God's heart. 

David says in Psalm 73:25: “Whom have I in heaven but You?

And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.” David’s heart longed for God’s heart. 

According to the Israelites, the greatest king they had was David. It is said in scripture that David was a man after God's own heart. 

Acts 13:22 says “After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’”

David reigned over the kingdom of Israel, God's chosen people. 

When Jesus rode on a donkey on Palm Sunday into Jerusalem, crowds formed and celebrated Him as a king triumphantly coming home. This is what was said by the Israelites that day, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!" Mark 11:10

That day, as He rode into Jerusalem, Jesus was the king they were talking about. Jesus brought the kingdom David represented which was God's kingdom. Jesus brought God's kingdom, God's love, and opened up God's heart for the people. 

Jesus said in John 15:12-13, “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”

‭‭In a later letter near the end of his life, John writes this, “God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him. Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John‬ ‭4:9-10)

God’s Kingdom IS Jesus. God’s love was poured out to us through Jesus in His death and it is because of Him we now have direct access to God’s heart.

Kingdom Scripture 

Here are a handful of scripture passages with “kingdom” mentioned.

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

Matthew 24:14  This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Mark 10:23  And Jesus, looking around, said to His disciples, "How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!"

Mark 12:34  When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."

Matthew 6:33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” 

This concept is interesting to me and I definitely think it’s worth considering. What do you think?

How do you think your heart can chase after God’s heart?
Do you have anything in your life right now that you think your heart is chasing instead?

I’m interested in your thoughts. Feel free to share what you think in the comments. 

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