The Kingdom of God or Denominational Religion
Where is the Church Jesus said he would build?
by
David Redmond
In the world today, many are searching for a true relationship with God through Jesus Christ. In the course of their search they encounter a multitude of denominations, each claiming to be the true church or to have the true gospel. In America alone, there are over 250 different denominations that claim to be “Christian”. What confusion!  How can we know who is preaching the truth? How can we know which church is preaching the gospel that Jesus preached? The answer to this question is very simple, we search out the word of God contained in the Bible. 2Timothy 3:16 tells us “all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect (complete), thoroughly furnished unto all good works”. The word of God contains all of the answers to our questions. Therefore, let us go to the word and find out what the true gospel is.
In Mark 16:15, Jesus told the disciples to “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature”. What gospel were they to preach? The gospel that Jesus preached and the gospel that he taught them. What gospel did Jesus preach? Look at Matthew 4:23, “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in the synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom…” and in Matthew 9:35, “And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom”. Again, in Matthew 24:14 when Jesus was giving the great Olivet prophecy concerning the end times and his second coming, he stated “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come”. So what gospel should we as Christians be preaching to the world? The gospel of the kingdom!!! That is the gospel that Jesus came to proclaim. He came to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of his Father, our God and creator.
Why was it necessary for Jesus to preach about the kingdom? Because man was not in subjection to God’s kingdom. Man’s original sin in the garden of Eden was rebellion to God’s authority, in that, by partaking of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil they (Adam & Eve) decided on their own what was good and evil. Therefore, they circumvented God’s authority and right to decide what was good and evil, placing themselves in a state of rebellion against God. Rebellion was the original sin of Lucifer (satan) in Isaiah 14:12-15. He sought to exalt his throne above the stars of God and wanted to be like the most High. The definition of “throne” is: the seat of authority. Lucifer rebelled against authority, which is the foundation of God’s kingdom, and became the adversary of God. Adam and Eve were seduced into the same rebellion against God’s authority and man has been in rebellion ever since. Judges 17:6 and 21:25 both say “that because there was no king, every man did right in his own eyes”. In other words, if we apply this spiritually, when man does not acknowledge the Lord as king and ruler omnipotent, then he decides what is good and evil thereby continually living a life of rebellion against God. That is the state of man that Jesus came to earth to deliver us from. The primary purpose of Jesus coming to earth as a man was to restore man back under the covering of God’s authority. That is why Jesus went first to Gethsemane to offer his soul as a sacrifice for Sin (singular)(Isa.53:10-12, Mt.26:38), submitting himself to God’s will in man’s behalf and then fulfilling God’s will by going to Calvary to offer his flesh as a sacrifice for sins (plural)(1Pe.2:24, 3:18, Gal.1:4, 1Cor.15:3). [See Gethsemane: The Sacrifice of the Soul]
The emphasis of Jesus’ ministry was to focus the eyes of man upon the Father and his kingdom. In Matthew 6:9-13 when Jesus taught the disciples how to pray, he first began by focusing on the Father, “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed (holy, reverenced, honored) be thy name”. He then focused on the kingdom and the Father’s authority, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as in heaven”. In Matthew 6:33, Jesus said “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” and then all your need will be met. The Greek word translated as “kingdom” in the New Testament is basileia, which means: royalty, royal power, sovereignty, supreme authority. What Jesus was saying here is, seek to submit yourself to God’s authority and you will obtain his righteousness. Consequently, as your rightful ruler he will ensure that all your need is provided. In John 4:31-34, after the disciples sought for Jesus to eat, he responded to them, “My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work”. Doing the will of the Father was life giving sustenance to Jesus. In word and deed, Jesus constantly affirmed his submission and obedience to the Father’s authority. His whole point was to show man what his attitude and relationship to the Father should be, one of submission and obedience.
Jesus not only preached the gospel of the kingdom, he taught his disciples about the kingdom. In the book of Matthew, Jesus uses the word kingdom 55 times. In Acts 1:1-3, Luke begins by referring to the his Gospel, which he had written some time previously, in his description of all that Jesus began both to do and teach. He then goes on to say in verse 3, “To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God”. Even after the resurrection, Jesus continued teaching the disciples about the kingdom, right up to the point when he was taken up to heaven.
In Acts 2, after the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter began preaching, not only the resurrection but things pertaining to the kingdom, in that he preached the lordship of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:36, 10:36, 2Pe.1:11). What were the other disciples preaching? The kingdom! In Acts 8:12, after Philip went to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them, it says “But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women”. The apostle Paul in Acts 19:8, “went into the synagoge and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God”. In Acts 20:25, Paul speaking said “And now behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God shall see my face no more”. Acts 28:23, speaking of Paul says, “And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God…”  Acts 28:30-31, “And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him”. In James 2:5, the apostle James wrote, “Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?”.
If the apostles and the other disciples of the early church preached the kingdom of God and the things pertaining to the Lord Jesus Christ, then what should we as present day members of the church be preaching? The kingdom of God and the things pertaining to our Lord Jesus Christ!!! We cannot preach Jesus Christ exclusive of the kingdom of God. Jesus has been exalted and given all authority in heaven and in earth (Mt.28:18, Ph.2:9-11). He has been given a throne and sits at the right hand of God the Father (Eph.1:20). When we approach Jesus, we approach him as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We approach him with humbleness and obedient submission. Hebrews 5:9 tells us that Jesus became the author of eternal salvation unto all that obey him.
The preaching of the kingdom brings us to a direct confrontation with the authority of God
and the preaching of the things concerning Jesus Christ reveals to us how the Lord has prepared the way to bring us once again into the realm of the Fathers kingdom household (Jn.14:1-3, Col.1:12-14, Eph.1:3-10, 2:19-22, Ro.5:8-21, Heb.6:1-2).
Now for the $64,000 question. Where do denominations fit into the kingdom of God? They don’t! Denominations do nothing except divide the body of Christ into opposing camps and pollute the word of God. When Jesus began his ministry, who was it that resisted him? Denominational religion! He encountered the Pharisees, the Saducees, and the Herodians. The Pharisees added to the word of God, to the point that Jesus rebuked them saying, their traditions have made the word of God of none effect (Mt.15:6, Mk.7:13). The Saducees subtracted from the word of God in that they did not believe in angels, spirits, or the resurrection (Acts 23:8), and the Herodians compromised the word of God to maintain their position in society (Jn.11:48). These denominations not only resisted Jesus in his ministry of God's word, but it was they who eventually crucified him. Jesus said to the disciples that they were not to partake of the leaven (doctrine) of the Pharisees, Saducees, or the Herodians (Mt.16:12, Mk.8:15). In Acts 6:8, when Stephen did great wonders and miracles among the people, it was those of denominational religion that resisted him and finally stoned him. We can see this in Acts 6:9, Then there arose certain of the synagoge which is called of the Libertines, Cyrenians, Alexandrians, them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen. These were nothing more than sects within the synagoge or in other words, denominations. Why did they stone him? Because the word of God that he spoke was contrary to their doctrines, and the truth of what he spoke cut them to the heart angering them to the point of killing him.
The apostle Paul dealt with the denominational spirit at Corinth. In 1Corinthians 1:10-13, he writes, “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and there be no divisions among you; but ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” The Greek word translated as “divisions” means schisms or splits. Paul said there are to be no schisms or splits in the church, but they are to speak the same thing, completely joined in the same mind and judgment. When they began to say I am of Paul or I am of Apollos, you can substitute the name of denominations. I am Baptist, I am Lutheran, I am Methodist, I am Catholic, and so on. Was your denomination crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of your denomination? Denominations have no place in the body of Christ. They bring schisms and splits. What is it that causes this? They become just like the Pharisees, Saducees, and the Herodians. They add to, subtract from, or compromise the word of God. The same three religious denominations that Jesus dealt with are alive and thriving in the church today. There are denominations that have added to the word of God, for example, some say you must be water baptized to be saved and some place demands on women to wear only certain types of clothing. Some denominations have subtracted from the word of God, for instance, some don’t believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit saying it’s of the devil, others don’t believe in manifestations of healing, tongues, or prophecy, and some don’t believe that Jesus really did all the things proclaimed in the Bible. Other denominations have compromised the word of God to maintain position and favor with the social system. There are churches, for example, that not only accept homosexuality in their church but ordain homosexuals into ministry. What an abomination to God. There are also churches that have allied themselves to politicians that are not saved and political parties which have policies contrary to the word of God.
As I mentioned earlier, there are over 250 different Christian denominations in America alone. That means there are 250 different doctrines and interpretations of the word of God. What a stench in the nostrils of God. My Bible says that there is one God, one Lord, one word, one Spirit, one doctrine, one body, one hope, one faith, and one baptism (Eph.4:4-6, 1Cor.8:6, 1Cor.12:12, Ro.12:4, 1Ti.2:5, Ph.1:27, Col.3:15, Heb.6:1-2, 1Jn.5:7). Why are there so many different denominations? There are five things that immediately come to my mind: 1) Lack of discipleship and study in the word of God, 2) Scriptures are taken out of context, 3) Lack of prayer in soliciting the Holy Spirit to give understanding, 4) Lack of faith toward God, in that they don't believe the word of God is true, and 5) Pride, which God hates (Pr.8:13, Mk.7:21-23), in that they are so prideful that they won't admit or acknowledge that their doctrine could possibly be in error. Also they want to attach their name to something that already belongs to the Lord.
In Matthew 16:18, Jesus said that the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church that he builds. If you look closely at denominational churches, Satan is prevailing against them. There is unbelief, adultery, divorce, fornication, witchcraft, blasphemy, false doctrines, heresies, drunkenness, drugs, abortion, strife, contention, lies, covetousness, false accusers, selfishness, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; They have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof (Gal.5:19-21, 1Ti.4:1, 2Ti.3:1-5) and what is most sad is that leaders of these churches allow these things to continue "in the Church". The only way that the church Jesus is building can prevail against the gates of hell is is that it must be within the covering authority of God's kingdom. The kingdom church is the church that Jesus is building and in that church, you will not find denominations.
Jesus said that upon this rock I will build my church. What rock was he speaking of? He was referring to Peter's confession that Jesus was "the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Mt.16:16). That is the cornerstone upon  which the church is to be built. The Greek word for "Christ" is christos, which means: annointed. It comes from a word that means to annoint or to consecrete to an office or service. To what office was Jesus annointed? He was annointed to be king. After Jesus was born and the wise men came to Jerusalem, they were seeking "he that is born King of the Jews" (Mt.2:2). Notice that they didn't say they were seeking he that was born to be king, but he who was born king. In Matthew 21:9, when Jesus rode into Jerusalem upon the ass, the people cried "Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord". The word "hosanna" means: save us. The son of David was that man of prophesy whom the Jews looked for as the King of Israel who would deliver them into the promised kingdom (2Sam.7:12-13). These people were recognizing Jesus as the King of Israel and that he came to them "in the name of" or by the authority of the Lord God from heaven. In their recognition of Jesus as King, they were crying to be saved. Although the majority of the Jews (and the world for that matter) didn't recognize it, God heard their cry and the king became their saviour. When Jesus was crucified, the superscription above his head read: "This is Jesus the King of the Jews" (Mt.27:37, Mk.15:26, Lk.23:38, Jn.19:19). It was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin for all to know that Jesus was king.
Why was it so important that Jesus was born king and for us to acknowledge his kingship (or Lordship)? Let us set the stage (scripturally) and we will see. The law given to Israel stated that when a man committed a sin worthy of death, he was to be put to death and hanged on a tree, becoming accursed, so that the land would not be defiled (Dt.21:22-23). In Joshua chapters 8 thru 10, Joshua leads the arimies of Israel to possess the promised land from the Canaanites and Philistines. Sequentially, as they conquered each kingdom Joshua commanded that they take the kings and hang them on trees until evening, then bury them (Jos.8:2,23-29, 10:26-40). Why did Joshua do this? Because the promised land that Israel was possessing had been polluted by the sins and idolatry of the heathens who possessed the land previously. Therefore, the land had to be cleansed. The kings were put to death and hanged on a tree so that all the pollutions of the land would be upon them and then they were buried. Why was it the kings that had to be hung from the tree? Because they were responsible for everything that happened in their kingdom, therefore the sins and pollutions of the land were put upon them so that the land would cleansed. Are you beginning to understand why we must recognize and confess Jesus as king?
Jesus was the King who was hung from a tree, becoming a curse so that the sins of the world would be upon him and buried with him that the land would no longer be defiled (Gal.3:13-14, 1Pe.2:24-25, 2Cor.5:21). Not only was Jesus qualified to be sacrificed in our behalf because he was without sin, but as King he accepted the responsibility and the consequences for every sin that had ever been committed in his kingdom on earth, thus cleansing all. That is why it says in Romans 10:9, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved". The Greek word translated as "confess" means: to declare openly by way of speaking out freely, such confession being the effect of deep conviction of facts. The word Lord means: king, master, supreme authority. In other words, if you confess of your own free will that Jesus Christ is your king because it's a fact in your heart, you will be saved. Salvation has everything to do with acknowledging God's authority, submitting yourself to Him in his kingdom, and it is there that you will obtain his grace and mercy.
I have stated in the past that I would not teach about God's authority without bringing the balance of his love. Many Pastors do not teach about authority, fearing it will drive people away from church. That is because they know not the authority of God. Yes, it is steadfast, unyielding, and is to be reverenced, but God does not use fear to reveal his authority to us, he uses love. In Romans 5:8, it says that God introduced (commendeth) his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. John 3:16 tells us that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son. God proved to us that he loves us by giving that which he treasured to die for us. He proved to us that we can approach him without fear of retribution or punishment, but that his arms are outstretched to love us, nourish us, and care for us as his children. Yes, he is a God of authority, but we can submit to him without fear, knowing that he has our best welfare in his heart. God does not force his authority upon us, although he could. He draws us to him with his love. Will God chastise and correct us? Yes he will, but he will do it as a father to his children. The rod of authority is not used on the willing and obedient, it is used on the unruly and rebellious (Heb.12:5-11).
It is often hard to teach about authority in the Church. This is because in the past (and present) it has been abused and not used as Jesus taught. In Matthew 20:25-28,  Jesus said "Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many". The problem in the Church today is that so many of those in ministry do exactly what Jesus said they should not do, they exercise authority upon God's people. They have the attitude that they are the head and the people are the tail, wagging to their command. They want to be the religious Grand Poobahs, having the people bow down to kiss their ring. Jesus said that those who would be great in the Church are to be ministers. The Greek word used for "minister" here is diakonos, which means: one who executes the commands of another, a servant, attendant, or minister. He said that those who would be chief in the Church are to be servants. The Greek word used for "servant" here is doulos, which means: a slave, bondman, a man of servile condition. In other words, Jesus said that the more authority and responsiblity one has in the Church, the more of a servant's heart he should have for the people. Even as Jesus came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life (psuche=soul) for the many. A position of ministry in the church of the kingdom does not come to those of a high mind, but to those who are humble and have a heart to serve their Lord and minister to the needs of the people.
In the last days, you will see two kinds of churches emerge, both seeking unity. One church will say,"lets put away our doctrinal differences and just lift up the name of Jesus". Denominational religion will be of this category. We already see it happening today. This will be the Church of the Laodiceans, which means the church of the people's judgment. The people will judge what is permissible in the house of God, instead of God's word. Of course, you cannot put away doctrine because doctrine is the word and the word is Jesus (Jn.1:1, 14). So if you put away doctrine, then you put away Jesus. That is why in Revelations 3:20, Jesus is standing outside knocking on the church door desiring to get in. The other church will be a kingdom church, a church of brotherly love where Jesus is the head of the body (Eph.4:15-16, Col.1:18). This will be a church of overcomers operating in unity, power and demonstration of the Spirit because it will only do that which is written in the word of God. This is the church that Jesus exhorts because they keep the word of his consistancy and steadfastness, saying that he will guard and protect them from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth (Rev.3:10). Which one of these churches do you want to be part of? I pray that it will be the church of the kingdom and not denominational religion.
Colossians 1:13 tells us that God has delivered us from the authority of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son. Notice that it is a present reality, not something that is to come in the future. Therefore, as born-again Christians, go preach the kingdom of God and the things pertaining to the Lord Jesus Christ and leave denominational religion behind.
Amen,so be it.
If you have questions, comments or suggestions that would make this study more complete and understandable, please send me an email.
david_redmond@geocities.com
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