Transcript The Kingdom of God A biblical study in twelve lectures by Steve Gregg Lecture #7 Entering the Kingdom of God.

The Kingdom of God
A biblical study in twelve
lectures
by Steve Gregg
Lecture #7
Entering the Kingdom of God
Luke 13:23-27
Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few
who are saved?”
And He said to them, “Strive to enter
through the narrow gate, for many, I say to
you, will seek to enter and will not be able.
When once the Master of the house has risen
up and shut the door, and you begin to stand
outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord,
Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and
say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are
from.’”
Mark 9: 43, 45, 47
…If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better
for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having
two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never
be quenched—
…And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is
better for you to enter life lame, rather than having
two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall
never be quenched—
…And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is
better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one
eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell
fire…
Matthew 16:24-26
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone
desires to come after Me, let him deny himself,
and take up his cross, and follow Me. For
whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but
whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For
what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole
world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a
man give in exchange for his soul?”
An atheist wrote:
“If I firmly believed, as millions say they do,
that the knowledge and practice of religion
in this life influences destiny in another,
then religion would mean to me everything.
I would cast away earthly enjoyments as
dross, earthly cares as follies, and earthly
thoughts and feelings as vanity…
“…Religion would be my first waking
thought, and my last image before sleep
sank me into unconsciousness. I should
labor in its cause alone. I would take
thought for the morrow of Eternity alone. I
would esteem one soul gained for heaven
worth a life of suffering. Earthly
consequences would never stay my hand, or
seal my lips. Earth, its joys and its griefs,
would occupy no moment of my thoughts…
“…I would strive to look upon Eternity
alone, and on the immortal souls around me,
soon to be everlastingly happy or
everlastingly miserable. I would go forth to
the world and preach to it in season and out
of season, and my text would be, WHAT
SHALL IT PROFIT A MAN IF HE GAIN
THE WHOLE WORLD AND LOSE HIS
OWN SOUL?”
1 Corinthians 6:9-10
Do you not know that the unrighteous will
not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be
deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters,
nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor
sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor
drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will
inherit the kingdom of God.
Galatians 5:19-21
Now the works of the flesh are evident,
which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness,
lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred,
contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath,
selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,
envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and
the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as
I also told you in time past, that those who
practice such things will not inherit the
kingdom of God.
Ephesians 5:5
For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean
person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater,
has any inheritance in the kingdom of
Christ and God.
Matthew 19:23-24
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly,
I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to
enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I
say to you, it is easier for a camel to go
through the eye of a needle than for a rich
man to enter the kingdom of God.”
Matthew 21:31
Jesus said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you
that tax collectors and harlots enter the
kingdom of God before you.
Matthew 18:3
“Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are
converted and become as little children, you
will by no means enter the kingdom of
heaven.”
John 3:3-6
Jesus answered and said to him, “Most
assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born
again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man
be born when he is old? Can he enter a
second time into his mother’s womb and be
born?”
Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to
you, unless one is born of water and the
Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of
God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh,
and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Mark 1:14-15
Now after John was put in prison, Jesus
came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the
kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is
fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
Matthew 28:18-19
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying,
“All authority has been given to Me in heaven
and on earth. 19 Go therefore[a] and make
disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit,
1 Corinthians 10:1-2
Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be
unaware that all our fathers were under the
cloud, all passed through the sea, all were
baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the
sea…
Acts 8:12
But when they believed Philip as he
preached the things concerning the kingdom
of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both
men and women were baptized.
Acts 2:38
Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let
every one of you be baptized in the name of
Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and
you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
John 3:5
Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to
you, unless one is born of water and the
Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God
Romans 14:17
…for the kingdom of God is not eating and
drinking, but righteousness and peace and
joy in the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 7:21-23
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he
who does the will of My Father in heaven.
Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord,
have we not prophesied in Your name, cast
out demons in Your name, and done many
wonders in Your name?’ And then I will
declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart
from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
Luke 6:46
“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not
do the things which I say?
Luke 19:11-19
Now as they heard these things, He spoke
another parable, because He was near Jerusalem
and because they thought the kingdom of God
would appear immediately. Therefore He said: “A
certain nobleman went into a far country to
receive for himself a kingdom and to return. So
he called ten of his servants, delivered to them
ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I
come.’ But his citizens hated him, and sent a
delegation after him, saying, ‘We will not have this
man to reign over us’…
Luke 19:11-19 (cont.)
“And so it was that when he returned, having
received the kingdom, he then commanded these
servants, to whom he had given the money, to be
called to him, that he might know how much every
man had gained by trading. Then came the first,
saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned ten minas.’
And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant;
because you were faithful in a very little, have
authority over ten cities.’ And the second came,
saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned five minas.’
Likewise he said to him, ‘You also be over five cities.’
Matthew 24:45-51
“Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom
his master made ruler over his household, to give
them food in due season? Blessed is that servant
whom his master, when he comes, will find so
doing. Assuredly, I say to you that he will make
him ruler over all his goods.
But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My
master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to
beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with
the drunkards…
Matthew 24:45-51 (cont.)
“…the master of that servant will come on a
day when he is not looking for him and at an
hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him
in two and appoint him his portion with the
hypocrites. There shall be weeping and
gnashing of teeth.”
Matthew 21:43
“Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God
will be taken from you and given to a nation
bearing the fruits of it.
Matthew 5:20
For I say to you, that unless your
2 Peter 1:5-11
But also for this very reason, giving all diligence,
add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to
knowledge self-control, to self-control
perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to
godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly
kindness love. For if these things are yours and
abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in
the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ…
2 Peter 1:5-11 (cont.)
For he who lacks these things is
shortsighted, even to blindness, and has
forgotten that he was cleansed from his old
sins.
Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to
make your call and election sure, for if you do
these things you will never stumble; for so an
entrance will be supplied to you
abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Matthew 25:31-40
“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all
the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the
throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered
before Him, and He will separate them one from
another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the
goats.
“And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but
the goats on the left. Then the King will say to
those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My
Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from
the foundation of the world…
Matthew 25:31-40 (cont.)
“’… for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was
thirsty and you gave Me drink… I was a stranger
and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed
Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison
and you came to Me.’
“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying,
‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You,
or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see
You a stranger and take You in, or naked and
clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in
prison, and come to You?’
Matthew 25:31-40 (cont.)
“And the King will answer and say to them,
‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did
it to one of the least of these My brethren, you
did it to Me.’”
Matthew 25:1-13
“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to
ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to
meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were
wise, and five were foolish.
“Those who were foolish took their lamps and took
no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their
vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom
was delayed, they all slumbered and slept…
Matthew 25:1-13 (cont.)
“And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the
bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then
all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.
“And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of
your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise
answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be
enough for us and you; but go rather to those who
sell, and buy for yourselves’…
Matthew 25:1-13 (cont.)
“…And while they went to buy, the bridegroom
came, and those who were ready went in with him
to the wedding; and the door was shut.
“Afterward the other virgins came also, saying,
‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and
said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’
“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day
nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”
Luke 16:16
“The law and the prophets were until John.
Since that time the kingdom of God has been
preached, and everyone is pressing into it.”
Acts 14:22
[Paul went about] strengthening the souls of
the disciples, exhorting them to continue in
the faith, and saying, “We must through many
tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”
2 Timothy 2:3-4
You therefore must endure hardship as a
good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one
engaged in warfare entangles himself with
the affairs of this life, that he may please him
who enlisted him as a soldier.