The Kingdom of God (Heaven)11 [Phil 3 : 20] / Ephphatha Church Discipleship Training (Basic Course)

 

 NewZealand / West Side                 Moru

 

The Kingdom of God

(Heaven)11

[Phil 3 : 20]

 

/ Ephphatha Church 

Discipleship Training 

(Basic Course) 

 

 

/ By Pastor Priscilla

 

"But our citizenship

is in heaven.

 

 

And we eagerly await

a Savior from there,

the Lord Jesus Christ."

(Phil 3 : 20)

 

 

We Christians have

received God as our Father

and Jesus Christ as

our Savior.

 

 

As a Christian,

there are some things

that we must know

and take them our hope.

 

 

These are about

the kingdom of God,

Heaven we will enter

 eventually.  

 

 

Therefore, today

I want you to briefly

learn the concept

of the kingdom of

  God in six ways.

 

 

1. As you read the

following scriptures,

please go over which

place Christians

belong to.

 

 

We Christians are

those who, because

our citizenship

is in heaven,

 

 

await our Savior

Jesus Christ who

prepare places

for us there.

(Phil 3 : 20)

 

 

And also we are

those who do not

rejoice that the spirits

submit to us,

 

 

but rejoice that our

names are written

in Heaven.

(Luke 10 : 20)

 

 

Therefore, even

though we live

on this earth,

 

 

we must clearly

recognize where we

belong and live.

 

 

In other words,

we must live keeping

in mind that

 

 

we belong to Heaven,

our citizenship is in

Heaven,

 

 

and will have new

names there.

 

 

2. Please go over

what Jesus, the Old

Testament believers,

 

 

and Christians

in the early church

looked forward to

in their lives.

 

 

(Ex : 1)

Abraham, Moses

 

 

1) Abraham: Although

he lived as a foreigner

and stranger

on this earth,

 

 

he lived

his life, longing for

Home, Heaven.

(Heb 11 : 13-16)

 

 

2) Moses: He refused

to be known as the son of

  Pharaoh's daughter,

 

 

and he chose to be

mistreated along with

the people of God

 

 

 rather than to enjoy

 the pleasures of sin

 for a short time.

 

 

3. What did Jesus teach

about in this world? 

 

 

Jesus said, and 

He preached the

 gospel everywhere. 

 

 

"I must preach the

good news of the

kingdom of God

to the other

towns also,

 

 

because that is

why I was sent."

 (Luke 4 : 43)

 

 

1) The Lord said

to a burglar who was

 crucified along with him,

 

 

"I tell you the truth,

today you will be with

me in paradise.

(Luke 23 : 43)

 

 

2) He told us where

humans would go

in the future.

 

 

(Ex : 2)

 

 

A rich man and

a beggar named

Lazarus.

 

 

He told us that

the rich man would

go to Hell in the future,

 

 

and a beggar Lazarus

would go to Heaven.

 

 

And also Jesus told us

that through their endings,

they could see hell

 

 

and paradise each other,

and that once they are

put in their places.

 

 

Heaven or Hell,

they cannot come

and go forever. 

 (Luke 16 : 19-31)

 

 

3) Jesus said,

 

 

"The Spirit gives life;

the flesh counts

for nothing.

 

 

The words I have

spoken to you are

spirit and they

are life."

(John 6 : 63)

 

 

4) Jesus preached to

his disciples and said,

 

 

"The kingdom of

heaven is near."

 (Matthew 10 : 7)

 

 

5) Jesus told the will

 of God to his disciples.

 

 

Jesus has given us

new birth into a living hope

through his resurrection

from the dead,

 

 

and into an inheritance

that can never perish,

spoil or fade--kept in

Heaven for us.

(1 Pet 1 : 3-4)

 

 

Therefore, Jesus

taught his disciples

about God's mercy

in preparing a new

heaven

 

 

and a new earth for

the children of God to go.

 

 

And Jesus clearly informed

the direction of hope

for the kingdom of God

 

 

and what his disciples

should look forward

to in their lives.

 

 

Also, God definitely

punishes those who

 have evil motives,

 

 

such as Cain who killed

his younger brother

Abel for jealousy.

 

 

However, God prepares

a new heaven and

a new earth for the

righteous.

 

 

Therefore, if the

world hates us

 

 

Christians who hope

for heaven for

 no reason,

 

 

he tells us to live

with conviction,

not to consider

it strange.

(2 Peter 3 : 12-13)

 

 

(Ex : 3)

The apostle Paul

 

 

In this regard,

what did the apostle Paul

look forward to in keeping

his faith and working?

 

 

(1) The apostle Paul

ran with hope on

the path of faith to

win the prize for which

God has called him. 

(Philippians 3 : 13-14)

 

 

(2) The apostle Paul

was pleased to know

that the crown of

righteousness was

   prepared in the future.

 

 

"Now there is in store

for me the crown

  of righteousness,

 

 

which the Lord,

the righteous Judge,

will award to me

 on that day-

 

 

-and not only to me,

but also to all who

have longed for

 his appearing." 

 (2 Timothy 4 : 8)

 

 

(Ex : 4)

 Early church

  members

 

 

Then, what did the

early church members

look forward to, living

a life of faith?

 

 

1) The saints came

to hope for Heaven

by receiving Jesus

 

 

and the kingdom of God

from the disciples of Jesus.

 

 

(Ex : 5)

Philip

 

 

"When they believed Philip

as he preached the

good news of the

kingdom of God

 

 

 and the name of Jesus Christ,

they were baptized, both

men and women."

(Acts 8 : 12)

 

 

2) Even if the saints

were publicly exposed

to insult and persecution

due to their faith

as Christians,

 

 

they endured them

because of their hope

 for Heaven. 

 

 

3) They kept a strong faith.

 

 

Rather, they sympathized

with those in prison

 

 

and joyfully accepted

the deprivation

of their  property

 

 

by the oppressors

who persecuted them.

(Heb 10 : 33-34)

 

 

They maintained

 a strong faith 

in any situation

 

 

That's because they

knew that they had better

and lasting possessions

in the kingdom of God

 to enjoy in the future.

(Heb 10 : 33-34)

 

 

4) When reading the

above scriptures,

 

 

what do you think was

the goal of the faith

of the early church

members

 

 

in the Old and New

Testament times?

 

 

(1) Paradise 

(2) Awarding to us

(3) Inheritance 

 

 

(4) Everlasting property 

(5) The Kingdom of God

(6) Crown of righteousness 

 

 

Therefore, we must take

their faith as an example

and live by keeping

the faith, hoping for

the kingdom of God

 

 

and looking forward

to the glory to enjoy

there in the future.

    

3. Where is Heaven?

 

 

It can be known

through visions and

revelations through the

inspiration of the

Holy Spirit.

 

 

(Ex : 5)

Apostle Paul's vision

 

 

1) The apostle Paul

has introduced to us

 

 

Heaven that he

experienced in

his vision.

 

 

Through this, we can

see that Heaven is

called Paradise and

the Third Heaven. 

 

(2 Corin 12 : 1-4)

 

(Ex : 6)

Revelation

 

 

2) Also, John, who was

moved by the Holy Spirit,

spoke in the book of

Revelation.

 

 

"At once I was in the Spirit,

and there before me was

a throne in heaven with

someone sitting on it.

 

 

And the one who sat

there had the appearance

of jasper and carnelian.

 

 

A rainbow, resembling

an emerald, encircled

the throne."

(Rev 4 : 2-3)

 

 

4. What is Heaven?

(Rev 21 : 4) 

 

 

 

1) He will wipe every

tear from their eyes.

2) There will be

no more death. 

 

 

3) There will be no mourning.

4) There will be no crying.

5) There will be no pain.

 

 

For the old order of things

has passed away. 

(Rev 22 : 1-5) 

 

 

1) The river of the water of life,

as clear as crystal, is

flowing from the

throne of God

 

 

and of the Lamb down

the middle of the great

street of the city.

 

 

2) On each side of the

river stood the tree of life,

bearing twelve crops of fruit,

yielding its fruit every month.

 

 

And the leaves of

the tree are for the

healing of the nations.

 

 

No longer will there

be any curse.

 

3) The throne of God

and of the Lamb will be

in the city, and his

 servants will serve him.

 

 

They will see his face,

and his name will be

 on their foreheads.

 

 

4) There will be no more night.

They will not need the light

of a lamp or the light

of the sun, for the Lord

God will give them light.

 

 

5) And they will reign

for ever and ever.

 

 

5. Who will go

into Heaven?

 

 

1) Only those whose names

are written in the Lamb's

book of life can go

into Heaven,

 

 

however, those who are

shameful or deceitful,

or impure cannot go

into Heaven.

(Rev 21 : 27)

 

 

2) Blessed are those

who wash their robes,

that they may have

the right to the

tree of life

 

 

and may go through

the gates into the city.

(Reve 22 : 14) 

 

 

Therefore, for all of us saints,

this world is like a stranger

or a pilgrim. 

 

 

When we leave this world,

we will enter the

Father's Kingdom,

our home, and our

eternal blessed land

of inheritance.

 

 

And without any

suffering, sickness,

tears, and death,

 

 

we will enjoy the

blessings of eternal life. 

 

 

In addition,

we will be rewarded

with comfort, glory,

 

 

and deeds for our labors

in order to serve and keep

our faith on this earth.

 

 

Therefore, we saints

have endured suffering

in our lives, not sparing

any effort for the Lord.

 

 

"Behold, I am coming soon!

My reward is with me,

 

 

and I will give to everyone

according to what

he has done."

(Rev 22 : 12)

 

 

"Blessed are you

when people insult you,

persecute you

 

 

and falsely say

all kinds of evil

against you

because of me.

 

 

Rejoice and be glad,

because great is your

reward in heaven,

 

 

for in the same way they

persecuted the prophets

who were before you.

(Matt 5 : 11-12) 

 

 

"I consider that

our present sufferings

are not worth comparing

with the glory that will

be revealed in us."

(Romans 8 : 18)

 

 

Jesus came to

  them and said,

 

 

"All authority in heaven

and on earth has been

given to me."

(Matt 28 : 18)

 

 

How comforting

these scriptures are!

 

 

Therefore, the apostle

Paul calls us boldly.

 

 

"But thanks be to God!

He gives us the victory

through our Lord

Jesus Christ.

 

 

Therefore, my dear

brothers, stand firm.

Let nothing move you.

 

 

Always give yourselves

fully to the work of the Lord,

 

 

because you know that

your labor in the Lord

is not in vain."

(1 Corin 15 : 57-58)

 

 

"I have fought the good fight,

I have finished the race,

I have kept the faith.

 

 

Now there is in store for me

the crown of righteousness,

which the Lord, the righteous Judge,

will award to me on that day-

 

 

-and not only to me,

but also to all who have

longed for his appearing."

(2 Tim 4 : 7-8)

 

 

6. What should be

the goal of our faith?

 

 

We must strive to

qualify for the person

who will look forward

to the prizes of heaven

  and receive the crowns.

 

 

1) The crown that

will last forever.

 

 

- Those who go into

strict training.

(1 Corin 9 : 25)

 

 

2) The crown of life

- Those who endures trials.

(James 1 : 2)

 

 

3) The crown of righteousness.

- Those who keep the faith.

(2 Tim 4 : 8)

 

 

4) The crown of glory

-Those who are faithful.

(1 Peter 5 : 4)

 

 

7. Summary 

 

1) Where do Christians

belong?

 

 (1) Those who belong

to heaven

 

 

 (2) Those whose names

are written in the book

of life (from the kingdom

of heaven)

 

 

2) What was the faith

in the Old Testament

and early church

members?

 

 

 (1) They considered

the heaven as their home

and lived looking up

 to Heaven.

 

 

 (2) Heaven's reward

 

 

 (3) They endured the lives

of pilgrims looking forward

to the one who gave them

the hope of Heaven.

 

 

3) What was the essence

of the Lord's teaching?  

 

 

 (1) Repent.

Heaven is near.

 (2) Hell

 (3) Eternal life

 

 

4) What was the essence

 of the apostles' teachings?

 

 

 (1) New heaven

and new earth

 

 

 (2) Those who will inherit

the heavenly inheritance 

 

 

 (3) Prize (crown)

 (4) Rewards 

 

 

5) Where is Heaven?

  -The third heaven

 

 

6) What is Heaven?

 

 

 (1) There will be no

  tears or sadness. 

 (2) There will be  no death.

 

 

 (3) There will be no pain.

 (4) There will be no night.

 

 

 (5) We will eat the fruit

of life at the riverside

 of the water of life.

 

 

(yielding twelve crops

  of fruit every month)

 

 

7) Who will go into heaven? 

 

 

(1) Those who are written

in the Lamb's book of life.

 

 

(2) Those who have been

washed away from their sins

by the Blood of Jesus.

 

 

8) Tell us about your

view of faith in Heaven.

 

 

I'm thinking of what he said,

“Repent! Heaven is near.”

 

 

That heaven has already

come to the kingdom

of heaven

 

 

and to me living

on this earth.

 

 

However, it is

not yet complete.

 

 

Those who possess

heaven to come in the future

have no regrets on this earth.

 

 

Therefore, with the

impending eschatology,

 

 

I will prepare for oil,

set my posture in the heart

of ten virgins waiting

for a bridegroom to come soon,

 

 

and live while looking

forward to heaven.

 

 

 

 

2021/01/21

 

 

/ By Priscilla