What is the Kingdom of Heaven- Present and Future

Welcome to another insightful episode of The Heartbeat of Faith Podcast, hosted by Dr. Andrew Farley. In this episode, we dive deep into the timeless concept of the Kingdom of Heaven. While the idea of an ancient kingdom may seem remote in the 21st century, we urge you not to dismiss it hastily. Jesus, when He entered the scene, brought a fresh perspective to the Kingdom of Heaven. It's not about castles, serfdoms, or knights; it's about God's divine will, presence, and love being manifested through Him. Join us as we explore the profound meaning of the Kingdom of Heaven, starting with the words of John the Baptist and the significance of baptism.

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The Kingdom of Heaven isn't confined to a distant realm; it's woven into the fabric of our lives. In your home, workplace, and relationships, it's present. As believers, we are called to bring the culture of heaven to earth, empowered by God's Spirit and guided by His Word. While we eagerly anticipate the full merging of heaven and earth, we actively participate in making it a reality with our actions. Stay tuned for our next episode, where we delve into how Jesus brought the Kingdom of God to earth and what it means for us to follow in His footsteps.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Let us pray our Father, who art in heaven. Halloaed
be thy name, Thy kingdom Come. Thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven. Matthew Chapter six,
Verses nine and ten. Heavenly Father, you are holy and magnificent.
Your name is higher than any other, and your thoughts

(00:24):
far outweigh my own. I thank you for your perfect will,
the plan to save me. Indwell me, and now counsel
me and cause me to bear fruit. I look to
you to renew my mind. To day. I pray that
you would make yourself known to me in the midst
of all the brokenness and despair of this world. Thank

(00:45):
you for including me in your kingdom, so that I
may display your loving kindness wherever I go. In Jesus name,
I pray, Amen, Thank you for praying with me to day.
Now discover the profound intricacies of scripture through prey dot
COM's podcast The Heartbeat of Faith with doctor Andrew Farley.

(01:08):
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Speaker 2 (02:27):
Hello. I'm doctor Andrew Farley with today's episode of the
Heartbeat of Faith podcast. Our time together has been spent
mining the depths of the Bible to better understand God's
heart for humanity. As our knowledge of Christ's love for
us grows, our hearts leap with joy. That's the heartbeat

(02:50):
of faith. Today we consider the Kingdom of Heaven. We
live in the twenty first century, so the idea of
an ancient kingdom or monarchy might seem a bit foreign.
But don't be turned off by the term kingdom of heaven.
When Jesus entered the scene, he proclaimed the Kingdom of Heaven.

(03:11):
But it wasn't a kingdom in the way we might
think of it. He wasn't talking about knights, serfdoms, peasants
and princes. No, Jesus declared that God's will, God's presence,
and God's love were being established through himself. When John
the Baptist was preparing people for the Kingdom of Heaven,

(03:33):
he was telling them about Jesus.

Speaker 3 (03:40):
A multitude of people gathered by the Jordan waiting for John.
They had been meeting him for weeks now listening to
him proclaiming the way of the Lord, John scanned the
sea of faces and stepped into the river. The water
was cool and refreshing. He turned around to the people
and raised his voice, repent for the Kingdom of Heaven
is it's near, he yelled. One by one, the people

(04:03):
walked into the water with John and were baptized.

Speaker 2 (04:07):
Jesus entered the scene with a resounding message about the
Kingdom of Heaven. After being baptized by John the Baptist
and being tempted by Satan, his message was deep, clear
and convincing.

Speaker 3 (04:23):
From that time, Jesus began to preach and to say repent,
for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Walking by
the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who
was called Peter, and Andrew, his brother, casting a net
into the sea. For they were fishermen. He said to them,

(04:45):
come after me, and I will make you fishers for men.
They immediately left their nets and followed him. Going on
from there, he saw two other brothers, James, the son
of Zebedee, and John, his brother, in the boat with Zebedee,
their father, mending their nets.

Speaker 1 (05:04):
He called them.

Speaker 3 (05:06):
They immediately left the boat and their father and followed him.
Jesus went about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues,
preaching the good news of the Kingdom, and healing every
disease and every sickness among the people Matthew four seventeen
through twenty three.

Speaker 2 (05:27):
Jesus proclaimed himself as the king of God's kingdom, sometimes
referred to as the Kingdom of Heaven and other times
called the Kingdom of God. When we think about the
Kingdom of Heaven, we usually think of a place we
go to when we die, roads paved with gold, pearly gates,

(05:48):
and angels singing. However, that wasn't precisely what Jesus meant
when he spoke about the Kingdom of Heaven. The Bible
describes God's kingdom as any where God rules and rains
as king. That means the Kingdom of Heaven can be anywhere,
in any time, God is at work in us and

(06:10):
through us. Let's take the beatitudes in Jesus' sermon on
the Mount, for example.

Speaker 3 (06:19):
Jesus scanned the crowds as they followed his every step.
His popularity was growing rapidly, and thousands of people followed
him into the valley outside Galilee. Their hearts were hungry
for truth. They were longing to know what the Kingdom
of God truly looked like. Jesus gathered them at the
bottom of a small hill. He climbed to the top

(06:40):
and sat. The wind carried his voice for all to hear,
and they listened to every word flowing from his mouth.
Blessed are those who are poor in spirit. The Kingdom
of Heaven belongs to them. Blessed are those who hurt,
for the time will come for them to be comforted.
Blessed are those with strength, but use it for good,

(07:01):
for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who
long for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are
the merciful, for they will receive mercy in return. Blessed
are those who are persecuted for doing what is right,
for the Kingdom of Heaven will reward them greatly. The
crowd was completely silent as they listened to Jesus.

Speaker 2 (07:25):
If the Kingdom of Heaven were only a place we
went to when we died, there would be little to
no reason for Jesus to describe what a kingdom's citizen
looks like. Right now, It's God's will for you and
me to display the culture of Heaven here on earth.
Empowered by God's spirit and informed by his word, were

(07:49):
called to showcase the Kingdom of Heaven right here on earth.
In future episodes we'll explore in more depth what that
really looks like and the upside down nature of God's kingdom.
So the Kingdom of Heaven is wherever Christ is reigning
as king. That means the Kingdom of Heaven is in

(08:11):
your home, your workplace, your relationships. It's in your heart,
in the quiet moments, and in the busy city streets.
Anywhere someone is trusting the indwelling Christ and walking by
his spirit. The Kingdom of Heaven is present right there.
But that doesn't mean the Kingdom of Heaven is exclusively

(08:35):
here on earth. The Bible is clear that the Kingdom
of Heaven is also yet to be fully realized and enjoyed.
One day, Jesus will bring heaven and Earth together. The
thief who hung beside Jesus on a cross recognize this
and earnestly asked to be included in Christ's kingdom.

Speaker 3 (09:01):
Jesus's cross was placed beside two thieves. One mocked Jesus, saying,
are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us if
you are so powerful, But the other thief swiftly rebuked him, saying,
have you no fear of God? We are getting what
we deserve. Hanging here, Yet this man has done nothing wrong. Jesus,

(09:23):
please remember me when you enter into your kingdom. Jesus
answered and said to him, truly, today you will be
with me in paradise.

Speaker 2 (09:36):
We eagerly await a time when God's kingdom fully meets
earth so we can live under the perfect reign of Jesus. However,
we don't have to pind for heaven, because you're already
raised and seated in heavenly places in Christ, Jesus. You've
been equipped with the fullness of Christ himself, who dwells

(09:58):
within you right here, right now. You're the new Self,
united with Jesus, and you have the privilege of displaying
the very essence of Heaven, God's love, and God's life
to a hurting world around you. Think about it. You've

(10:19):
been given the incredible opportunity to be a living demonstration
of Heaven on earth. You carry within you the power
and presence of the King of Kings. You can now
bring hope, healing, and restoration to those who are broken
and lost. You are a vessel of God's grace, pouring

(10:42):
out his love and mercy to those in need. So
embrace the reality that God's kingdom is here and now
you're an essential part of it. You have the privilege
of displaying the beauty and glory of God's Kingdom in
every aspect of your life. The Holy Spirit is with you,

(11:04):
in you, guiding and empowering you to live out your
heavenly identity. So trust in the finished work of Christ
and let His love flow through you in every interaction,
every decision, and every moment. Rejoice in the truth that

(11:25):
you've been appointed to bear fruit that will last. Walk
confidently in the knowledge that you're loved, accepted, and cherished
by your heavenly Father. And always remember the Kingdom of
Heaven is not just a distant dream, but a present
reality within you in the person of Jesus Christ. Embrace

(11:49):
His kingdom and let your light shine brightly for all
to see. In our next episode, we'll talk about how
Jesus Us brought the Kingdom of God to earth and
how we're now doing the same. Thank you for listening
to today's episode of the Heartbeat of Faith podcast. Followed

(12:11):
the podcast so you can learn more about the Bible
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Visit Andrewfarley dot org. That's Andrewfarley dot org.