Kingdom Truths
Part One: Three Tabernacles

Matthew 17:1-6 "And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, [2]  And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. [3]  And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. [4]  Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. [5]  While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. [6]  And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid."

As the disciples walked with Christ, followed Christ in obedience to His calling, they began to fall into one of the traps of humanity. They began to "get used" to Christ, to think of Him as less than God yet more than man.

"Getting used" to our spiritual Leader and our Spiritual heritage is one of the greatest dangers in the Christian Church today. Sunday after Sunday we come together, sing a few hymns, hear a sermon, and shake the Pastor's hand as we go out the door. When our relationship with the risen Saviour becomes mundane, ordinary, business as usual, then we as a people begin to drift off course of our calling. If the disciples were susceptible to this type of apathy, if those who walked hand in hand with the risen Saviour could "get used" to His company, then we certainly need to be on guard against this in our life.

Six days prior to the transfiguration of Christ, our Lord taught His disciples that His death was rapidly approaching, that He would soon be crucified for the sins of the world. Jesus made an even more startling prophecy in Matthew 16.28:

Matthew 16:28  "Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom."

Mark 9:1  "And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power."

Theologians have argued over this prophetic statement for years, asking the question, "What did Jesus really mean?". Some have inferred that Jesus meant He expected His Millennial reign to begin before His disciples passed away. Others have pointed to these verses and assumed Jesus was mistaken, that He mis-prophecied, and could not therefore be Messiah. That He was only a man like we are. To which I say, no, a thousand times no! Jesus was no mere mortal man, no mere prophet, but He was and is God Almighty in the flesh, and His prophecies all stand true.

If Christ was not talking about His millennial reign, (which is obvious, for all the disciples to whom He spoke have long since died) then what was He talking about? Where is Christ's Kingdom? Where is it? Jesus tells us:

Luke 17:20-21 "And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: [21]  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you."

Where is the Kingdom of God? Christ says it is within you, within those who believe. The Kingdom of God is a people who have accepted One King as their own, Jesus Christ. The Kingdom is a people empowered by One Spirit, empowered to do mighty works for our King on this earth. This Church is part and parcel of the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is evident in every Bible believing Church that says "NO" to the mundane, that recognizes One Power, One God, One Almighty Risen Saviour Jesus Christ. The power of the Kingdom should excite each believer here today, excite us to service, excite us to love, excite us to submit to the power of the Spirit within us. We'll discuss the Kingdom further tonight, though I want you to focus on this one thought:

When Jesus told His disciples that some would not suffer death until they saw the Kingdom of God coming in power, Jesus was telling them that He was more than mortal man. For He alone:

• Must suffer death for the sins of mankind
• Resurrect again to insure our continued salvation
• Send a Messenger, the Holy Spirit, to empower His subjects
• Return again to receive us to Himself

And the disciples still didn't get it! For six days later, after teaching that He had to suffer and die, that He alone would have to pick up that terrible Cross and, shamed before the world, suffer to pay our penalty, six days later He was "transfigured".

Matthew 17.2  "And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light."

"Transfigured" is METAMORPHOO, and it means "to be transformed". When Jesus came to earth in the form of man the Bible tells us that He "took on" humanity:

Hebrews 2:16  "For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham."

When people looked at Jesus they saw a carpenter, a poor man, a homeless man. They saw the lowest of all humanity. Yet shrouded within that frail flesh was the very awesome power of Almighty God. When He was transfigured the shroud was parted, the veil was pushed to the side for just a moment, and the God cloaked within was revealed. When Moses came down from the Mount, after receiving the Law from God, his face shined just from being in proximity to the Creator of all Life (Exodus 34.29-31). When Aaron and the people saw Moses' face they were so frightened they wouldn't come near him until he put a veil on his face, such was the specter of the Shekinah glory on him. When Elijah the Tishbite was caught up into Heaven by God (2 Kings 2.11), the Bible says it was a chariot of fire and horses of fire that received him, like a whirlwind, into Heaven. Again, man saw the Shekinah glory of God.

And when Jesus stood up in the mountain with Peter, James, and John, He was transformed. The restrictions of human flesh were negated for but a moment, and the Shekinah glory of God burst forth from Him so that His "his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light". This was no mere mortal man standing on the mount. This was no Prophet, however honored by mankind, shining like the sun. This was God Almighty, this is God the Son. Jesus was revealed as God Incarnate for the disciples to see. As the Psalmist said:

Psalms 104:1-2 "Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty. [2]  Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain."

Matthew 17.3-4 "And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. [4]  Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias."

Then Peter, much like many people who have allowed apathy to overcome their lives, looked at Jesus in His glorified state and said, "let us make here three tabernacles". What Peter was asking Jesus was to build three tents or cloth huts, SKENE, places to commemorate and honor Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. With his words Peter revealed the thoughts of his heart. To him, Jesus was but a Great Prophet, equal to Moses and Elijah. Jesus was not eternal God, but a powerful, God empowered man. He would be honored just as if He were equal to Moses and Elijah. What a blasphemous thought!

The Law and the Prophets were only a testimony to Christ. They pointed to Him who was coming. When Jesus stood on the mountain top transfigured, the Law (Moses) and the Prophets (Elijah) came to Jesus to speak with Him, to submit themselves to the Creator of All, the Saviour. A short time later Moses and Elijah disappeared, showing us and the disciples that the Law and the Prophets were only the shadow, but Jesus remained - the reality that they pointed to.

Had Peter built three SKENE, two would have been built to the shadows and figures of the Old Testament. If a tabernacle should be built, it should be built to Jesus Christ alone. If One would be honored, the honor should be to the risen Saviour alone.

Grace (THE GRIP OF GRACE [Baker, 1992], Bryan Chapell) On Sunday, August 16, 1987, Northwest Airlines flight 225 crashed just after taking off from the Detroit airport. One hundred fifty-five people were killed. One survived: a 4-year-old from Tempe, Arizona, named Cecelia.  News accounts say when rescuers found Cecelia they did not believe she had been on the plane. Investigators first assumed Cecelia had been a passenger in one of the cars on the highway onto which the airliner crashed. But when the passenger register for the flight was checked, there was Cecelia's name.  Cecelia survived because, as the plane was falling, Cecelia's mother, Paula Chican, unbuckled her own seat belt, got down on her knees in front of her daughter, wrapped her arms and body around Cecelia, and then would not let her go.

Jesus was more than Elijah and Moses, more than the Law and the Prophets. God the Father Himself spoke, interrupting Peter's absurd statement, and said:

Matthew 17.5-6  "While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. [6]  And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid."

We don't know what Elijah and Moses said to Jesus. Perhaps their appearance was symbolic only, to show the disciples that the Law and Prophets had now been fulfilled in Christ. That the bondage of the Law of Moses was broken, that sin was to soon be rent asunder by the agony of the Cross. That the shadows of Prophecy were now fulfilled in Christ. We don't know what these great men said, but we do know what the Father, in Shekinah glory, spoke out of the cloud: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him". Notice those last three words, "hear ye him".

This morning, don't listen to the many gods and goddesses, the false prophets that walk this earth to deceive. Don't listen to Mohammed, nor Buddha. Don't listen to the Law, trying to earn your way to Heaven, but "hear ye him". Focus on the Christ, the Son of God. Hear this!

John 8:21-24 "Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come. [22]  Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come. [23]  And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. [24]  I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins."

Jesus says you must believe that "I am He", that He is the One and only Messiah. You cannot believe that Jesus was only a great man and get to Heaven on this belief. You must believe that He is Messiah, God Incarnate, who died for your sins. The woman at the well understood this Jesus:

John 4:25-26 "The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. [26]  Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he."

And became a member of His Kingdom by faith in Him. Are you a Child of the King? Are you a member of Christ's Kingdom, the Kingdom of God on earth? If not, I pray the Spirit open your heart to this truth today, and draw you to faith in Him.

1 Peter 1:3-5 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, [4] To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, [5]  Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."

This morning we touched lightly on the subject of the Kingdom of God, focusing mainly on its King, Jesus Christ. But tonight I want to talk about, to focus on, the Kingdom of God. For Kingdom doctrine is important, and once you understand the Kingdom and where we're supposed to be going as a Church, you will get excited! You will want to see the Body thrive.

There in one very sad thing that always tugs at my heart when I think on it: The fact that so few Christians understand their spiritual heritage in this present age, and so many Christians live as if they are defeated. This type of approach to life is totally opposite to what we saw expressed in the early Church. When the early Church moved out, it preached and taught the Word of God boldly, without regard to the consequences. Now, you might say that this was because they were naive, simple, that life was less complex then than it was now, but I disagree.

If you boldly preached the Gospel in the early Church era, you were likely to be stoned, imprisoned as a traitor, tortured, or have your business and family removed from you. If you preach the Gospel today, you are likely to be (in this country, anyway) treated as a social outcast, a bit of an idiot. Yet no physical harm comes to you, unless a school bully sneaks in a punch behind the teacher's back. So it should be easier today. Why isn't it?

Because so few Christians can define the phrase "the Kingdom of God".

The concept of the Kingdom of God is found sixty-eight times in the New Testament. Wherever Jesus went, He preached the "gospel of the Kingdom, and demanded that His disciples do the same:

Luke 9: 2-6 "And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick. [3] And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece. [4] And whatsoever house ye enter into, there abide, and thence depart. [5] And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them. [6] And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where."

So the Kingdom of God is important, vitally important to each and every believer in this Church and it's time we understood what our Lord taught about it.

Our Lord spoke of the Kingdom in both the present and future tenses. That is, at times He declared the Kingdom of God was present:

Luke 11:20  "But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you."

And there were other times when Jesus referred to the Kingdom as a future event:

Luke 13: 25-28 "When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: [26] Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. [27] But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. [28] There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out."

So when is the Kingdom of God? Is it present now, on the earth? Was it present while Jesus walked the earth? Or is it some future Heavenly Kingdom? I refuse to believe that our Lord, Almighty God in the flesh, was confused over the Kingdom that He rules! But is the Kingdom present or future? Actually, the Kingdom is both present and future, here and yet coming.

God, infinite God, has the power to force men to His will, though in His infinite wisdom refuses to do so. You see, God has determined within Himself that He will build a Kingdom, but He does not want to coerce subjects into that Kingdom. Our God is love, and gives each and every person the on the face of the earth the opportunity to share with Him in this great work of their own will.

When Jesus first came to the earth, His initial mission was to offer the Gospel of the Kingdom to Israel. This is plain in the words that Jesus spoke:

Matthew 15: 22-28 "And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. [23] But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. [24] But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. [25] Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. [26] But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. [27] And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. [28] Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour."

"I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel". Jesus was sent first to redeem Israel, yet Israel rejected the Messiah. God's chosen, the ones who should have been the stewards of the Gospel, who were the stewards of the Law and the Prophets, rejected the Messiah, refused to follow the King. Because of this Jesus prophesied truthfully:

Matthew 21:42-43 "Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes? [43]  Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof."

The Kingdom of God was taken from Israel the nation and offered to another nation, the Gentile nation, who embraced its teachings. Following the Resurrection of our Lord the Kingdom message, the message of salvation by faith in Christ was still offered to Israel: but that same message was offered to the Gentiles, who responded to the calling, and became citizens of the Kingdom by faith in Christ.

And citizens of the Kingdom of God are seen today, gathered in assemblies of believers we call "The Church".

Mark 10:14-15 "But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. [15]  Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein."

We do not become citizens of the Kingdom of God by our own works, nor by our goodness, nor by our outward purity. In order to become citizens of that Heavenly Kingdom you do so by faith in the crucified and risen Saviour. You accept Jesus Christ as the one true King of this Kingdom, accept Him with the faith of a child.

Once we accept Christ as Saviour, believing that He died for us (whether we understand its "theological significance" or not) the Bible says we are immediately entered into a new citizenship. We are immediately recognized by God as citizens of that celestial Kingdom. Because we are immediately counted as citizens of the Kingdom of God, the riches of Heaven are reserved for us:

1 Peter 1:3-5 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, [4] To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, [5]  Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."

I remember, as a child, asking momma and daddy to buy me a set of walkie talkies. You see, when we were growing up we didn't have a lot of money - little did I realize that as a child, though now I understand. Anyway, that Christmas we took all the presents to grandma's house and put them under the tree. I could barely sleep the night before, I was so excited. On Christmas morning I tore into my present and, there they were, two beautiful walkie talkies. My dreams had been realized.

But think on this: momma bought those walkie talkies three weeks before Christmas Day. They were "reserved" for me, waiting for me, just as Heaven and its riches are reserved for each and every one of you who have accepted Christ as Saviour today. And if your citizenship in the Kingdom of God is reserved, then:

1. Why do we worry about the temporal things of this life?

Luke 12:29-31 "And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. [30]  For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. [31]  But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you."

In ancient times a King was as responsible to His subjects as the subjects were to the King. If the subjects were going through hard times, the King often opened the storehouses of the Kingdom to keep his people provided for. A dead subject is no subject at all!

Do you not believe that your King will take care of your every need. Serve the King with all your might, citizens of the Kingdom. Seek to do this above all else, and "all these things shall be added unto you". We are not citizens of the earth, but of the Heavenly. Our minds should be focused on Heaven's objectives, proclaiming the Gospel of Christ, above all else, above all else.

Before you get the idea, "Well, I just don't have to work, do I?", bear in mind that you are commanded to work while on this earth:

2 Thessalonians 3:10-12 "For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. [11]  For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. [12]  Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread."

We all have our work that we must do. Yet we should not be obsessed with it, allow it to dominate our spiritual lives. I know a man who can never attend Church because he feels that he has to work, work, work. Yet work has dominated his life so that he has no time to live, no time with God, no time for love. Do not be that way. The heathen worship work, worship wealth: the believer has a higher citizenship.

2. Why would fellow citizens of the Kingdom allow division?

Romans 14:17-19 "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. [18]  For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. [19]  Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another."

The King will not allow division in His Kingdom, we must not allow division among ourselves. Each and every one of us who believe will spend an eternity in Heaven with one another, an eternity in the Kingdom of God without division.

If your brother suffers and you turn away, are you honoring your citizenship? If your brother errs and you are unkind, will such unkindness be allowed in the Kingdom? If you are called on to serve in the Kingdom of God in its fullness, will you turn to Jesus and say "No!"? If you are called on to serve in the earthly assembly of the Kingdom, how will you respond?
 

James Bender, in his book *How to Talk Well* (New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 1994) relates the story of a farmer who grew award-winning corn. Each year the farmer entered his corn in the state fair where it won a blue ribbon. One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something interesting about how he grew it. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors. "How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?" the reporter asked. "Why sir," said the farmer, "didn't you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn." He is very much aware of the connectedness of life. His corn cannot improve unless his neighbor's corn also improves. So it is in other dimensions: Those who choose to be at peace must help their neighbors to be at peace. Those who choose to live well must help others to live well, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. And those who choose to be happy must help others to find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all. The lesson for each of us is this:  If we are to grow good corn, we must help our neighbors grow good corn. "Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love." Ephesians 4:2 (TLB)

3. Pastors and Deacons must be driven by Kingdom truths.

Acts 20:25-31 "And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more. [26] Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. [27]  For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. [28]  Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. [29]  For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. [30]  Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. [31]  Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears."

Knowing that each saved soul in this Church is a precious citizen in the Kingdom should spur your Pastor, and your Deacons to excellence in service. Too often I have witnessed Churches torn apart by indecisive leadership, undermined leadership, and arrogant dictatorial leadership. My pledge to you today is that I will stand on the Word of God alone, loving you, caring for you, serving you to the best of my ability in Christ Jesus. You will hear the Word preached clearly, even if it offends, for without are "grievous wolves" who want to rend the flock from its mission.

As your Pastor I exhort this flock to rally with me to:

Loving one another, lifting one another up in prayer, let us focus on God's purpose: to bring others into this Kingdom, and to grow in our operational salvation through Christ Jesus.

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