It's All About the Kingdom

Thank you very much, Mr. Lewis, and our accompanist. It was beautiful, too. Wow. That was quite a number. Very inspiring, very uplifting. I also love your stage, your decorations. In fact, I'm tempted to go and get some of that coffee right about now. Sitting right here, tempting me, but I won't do it. I'll stay back. Looks really nice. Beautiful stage, beautiful area you have here in Bend. Oregon. I just heard of the name Bend.

I didn't know where Bend was. I knew what it was. Didn't know what it was like, I should say. Very nice fisight. Very beautiful fisight and beautiful people here, too. It's nice to be up here with you. I was helping look over the speakers for the feasts. They were all recommended by the coordinators. And the ministerial services just kind of goes through. And they said, oh, well, maybe they could use somebody else to go up. And I said, well, I'm scheduled for that.

I'll be in Escondido with my family for the whole time. So I thought, they said, well, they need somebody to go up. Somebody could, who could go up? And Mr. Kubik's going over to Estonia and Mr. Luker's over in Germany and Italy and France and England.

And he said, he's one more person up there. Who, who we could send up? I said, well, if you want me to go, I'll go. San Diego's not that far. I can go up that area. So anyway, it's nice to be up here with you. So my first experience in the Northwest, for a feast of tabernacles. So it's a nice opportunity to be here with you. Nice to see so many of you and also so many former ABC grads.

Prior to Jesus Christ's birth, there was a scripture that spoke of what would become of him in Luke 1, verse 31, what his future would be. Luke chapter 1 and verse 31. And behold, you shall conceive, Mary was told, in your womb, and bring forth a son, and you shall call his name. Jesus. He shall, and by the way, I don't apologize for calling him Jesus. You know, some people, you know, Jesus. Yeah, that's right. I say Jesus.

That's what the Bible says. Okay. Call his name Jesus. He shall be great. Shall be called the Son of the highest. The Lord God shall give to him the throne of his father, David. Before he was ever born, Jesus Christ was proclaimed to be king. I'm going to give him the throne of his father, David. What was David? King of Israel. But Jesus Christ will be king over more than that. David will be the leader of Israel. Jesus Christ will be king over all the world.

King of kings. But notice, verse 33. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever with David, the prince under him. And his kingdom, there shall be of his kingdom, there shall be no end. This feast is about the kingdom. It's all about the kingdom. In fact, our lives are all about the kingdom. In fact, our hope is all about the kingdom. In fact, our mission as a church is all about the kingdom. And the very goal that we have is to be king over all the world.

It's all about the kingdom. So guess what the title of this sermon is? It's all about the kingdom. It's all about the kingdom. But I was sitting here reflecting while Mr. Walker was giving his announcements, and I was thinking, you know, God's plan. How many of us would ever come on a Monday for services? Or a Sunday? Well, Sunday we might have gone to services. But on a Monday, a Tuesday, a Tuesday, a Sunday. A Wednesday, a Thursday.

For services, give me a break. And sit eight days and bring your Bible, and dress up, and come and sit, and listen to messages. How many people would do that for religious reasons? But not just for religious reasons. Because it's all about the plan of God. The plan of salvation that God has. Not just for you and me, but for all of mankind. Do you know why you're here? Do you know why I'm here? See, as of the Feast of Trumpets, you're changed. What's pictured by the Feast of Trumpets? You're changed, and you're a spirit being. Your salvation is already done.

You're here at this feast, picturing a time when a world is going to be living happily, joyfully, harmoniously, lovingly. That's what you're here for. You're here to show what part of God's plan is for the world. This is the time when the world is functioning God's way. With peace, and joy, and harmony. It's all about the Kingdom. In the Old Testament, a lot of the terminology using the word Kingdom was about Israel, was about nations.

Though there are plenty of references to God's Kingdom in the Psalms, Prophets, and Daniel, a lot of the other references of Kingdom had to do with physical peoples. But we're going to see that the Kingdom of God involves us. It's about us. Actually, it involves us. It's about God, what He's going to do with us for all humanity. Mark 1, verse 14. Jesus Christ came to do what? Mark 1, verse 14. He came proclaiming a message. And after John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. He brought good news. It was good news to a war, weary world. It was good news to a people who had lived in slavery to the Romans. It was good news to a people who had no hope other than the Kingdom of God. They were slaves. Judas, its thought, envisioned Jesus Christ coming to free them. He could do anything. I mean, He could heal the sick. He walked on water. He could call down fire out of heaven. He could zap trees. Why can't He zap the Romans and free us? That's what some thought Judas was disappointed in Christ, because he didn't free them. Jesus Christ didn't come the first time to free them, but it was His plan. And He will free the captives, and He will open the prison doors and let them out. So Jesus Christ came into Galilee preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and saying, the time is fulfilled, the Kingdom is at hand. It's open to you. Repent and believe the Gospel. It's time for you to keep your eyes on and focus on the Kingdom of God, is what He's saying. It's time for you to realize there's a Kingdom. There's something better than this world to look to.

Eight times in Matthew 13, Jesus Christ spoke parables that had to do with the Kingdom of God. Eight times, Matthew 13. In Luke 9, verses 1 and 2, we read this. Luke 9, verses 1 and 2.

Then He called His disciples, twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases. And He sent them to preach the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. The job He gave to His disciples preached the Kingdom of God. Tell people about that wonderful time. That's illustrated in Isaiah 2 and Micah 4 and numerous prophecies in Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel. In Daniel, a time when God will rule. A time when God will bring peace to this earth. A time when man will not hate his enemy anymore, but love his friends, because there will be no enemies.

In Luke 19 and verse 11, the disciples were expectant. They thought, now the Kingdom is going to come. Jesus Christ has done His ministry, doing His ministry. Luke 19 and verse 11, as they heard these things, He added and spoke a parable because He was near to Jerusalem and because they thought that the Kingdom of God should immediately appear. So He wanted to explain to them, so He gave the parable the pounds, that He had to go away to receive for Himself a kingdom and to return. And that they had to occupy, they had to stay there and they had to make gains with what they had to do with.

It's never about who has the authority and power, now it's about what we do when we have it.

It's what you do when you have it. What are you like when you have power and authority? What do you do with your talents? I know we all have many more talents than we are able to use in this life. We all do many things well. Some of us do a lot of things very well. And it's a matter of choosing which one can I use to help and benefit others. That's what it's about. Is it encouraging words? Is it a good listener? What is it? What is your strength? And are you using that to glorify God? But they thought the kingdom of God should immediately appear. Here we are in this beautiful place in Bend, Oregon, and we're here because it is all about the kingdom of God. And there are four areas I want to relate to you regarding the kingdom of God. And I want to relate you to it, to each one. First of all, it's all about the kingdom is all about our goal. It's what we're headed for. Like a football team is going for that goal line, the kingdom of God is beyond that goal line. That's what you're headed for. That's what you're looking forward to. Famous scripture, Matthew 6.33. You know what that says, don't you? Matthew 6.33. By the way, hello to all of you out on the webcast as well, wherever you might be. Tuning into us, some of the satellite areas are listening in. Say hello to you as well. But Matthew 6.33. But seek you first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. It's the goal. It's what we all would say. What is your goal in life? Seek the kingdom of God. What is your goal? What do you want to have as the outcome of your life? I want to be in God's kingdom. It's our goal. It's what we're headed for. It's what we're striving, not striving to get there, because God has to get you there. You can't make it on your own. But it's what you're looking forward to. Luke 12, verse 32. Luke 12, verse 32. Another famous scripture. But in this context, it's all about the kingdom. The kingdom of God is our goal. Luke 12, verse 32. Fear not, little flock. For it's your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. God wants you to have that kingdom. That's your goal. God says, hey, here it is.

Matthew 13, verse 45. Matthew 13, verses 45 and 46. We read what is spoken of in this Pearl of Great Price. Pearl of Great Price. How much does the kingdom of God mean to you? I know it means a lot to you. I work for the work. I get these days off. Many of you work for companies and businesses, have your own business. You have to go in every year and ask for time off. Maybe you've worked long enough that they know you can have that time off. You have to take off from your business to go. That's how much the kingdom of God means to you. Some people lose jobs. Some people lose pay. Because the kingdom of God means that much. Matthew 13, verse 45. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls. The kingdom of God is likened to goodly pearls. Not some faux pearls. I have to share with you something. A friend of ours had gone on a trip before the feast. He was on an airplane and they had all these things you could buy. He thought, I'm going to buy my wife some pearls. So he bought her these very fine faux pearls. Fake pearls. Nice fakes, but fakes nonetheless. So I remember he brought them to the feast with him and he presented them to his wife. And she looked at them and she thought, oh, those are so wonderful. And then he gave me this brochure reading. I thought, well, those are pretty. And I started reading about it. These are the best man-made pearls that money can buy.

It took the sweetness right out of the whole thing. They were fakes. They weren't the real thing. Goodly pearls is what the kingdom of God is all about. Not fake. Verse 46, who when he had found one pearl of great price and pearls are costly, one pearl of great price went and sold all that he had and bought it. The kingdom of God is like that. And many of you know what it was like to seek that kingdom of God at whatever price it was for you. Maybe family and friends couldn't understand why you were going. Maybe there were activities occurring that you wanted to be at that couldn't be. Maybe you could have made more money being there at this time of the year. But you chose to come because of the goal. It's all about the kingdom. It's about our goal, what we look for in life. John 3, verse 3. It's our goal. It's what we want to be a part of. And you know flesh and blood can't be in the kingdom, so it's all about when you're changed. The Apostle Paul said flesh and blood cannot enter the kingdom of God. You must be changed. So in John chapter 3, Jesus Christ spoke to Nicodemus, who recognized him as a leader. He said, you're a teacher. Come from God. That's verse 2. But verse 3, Jesus answered and said to him, Verily, verily, I say to you, truly, truly, I want to tell you something. Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. So our goal is tied up in being born again, being part of that kingdom, being changed.

Nicodemus said to him, well, how can a man be born when he was old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born? He knew Jesus. Christ was talking about birth. And Jesus answered and said to him, verily, verily, I say to you, except a man be born of water in the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Unless he is baptized and receives the spirit of God, he cannot be in the kingdom of God. And then he said, verse 6, that which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the spirit is spirit. Having the spirit does not mean you're born of the spirit. It does mean you are a new person now on the road to eternal life. But you will not be totally spirit until you're changed. And that's what the Feast of Trumpets pictures, that last trump.

So it's all about the kingdom. It's our goal. It's what we want to be a part of. We want to be there. He goes on to say in verse 7, verse 6, that which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the spirit is spirit. Not that which is born of the spirit has spirit. I certainly hope if we've been baptized, that the laying on of hands have shown fruits in our lives, that we have the spirit of God. But trust me, I'm not spirit. I hurt. I ache. I have pains. I get hungry.

I'm not of the spirit, and neither are you. You have the spirit, but you're not born of the spirit, not yet.

In verse 7, he says, Marvel not that I said to you, you must be born again. The wind blows where it will, and you hear the sound of it. You cannot tell where it comes and where it goes. So is everyone that is born of the spirit.

You hear and you're there. Jesus Christ came right through walls. Hi, guys! He said to his disciples. Walked right through the walls. Manifested himself. They didn't see him coming. He showed up. Manifested in flesh. There he was.

It's all about the kingdom, our goal. That's the first area we need to relate to. The second, the kingdom, is our mission. It's the mission that we have. Notice I'll read this from our mission statement. The mission of the Church of God is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and the kingdom of God. And all the world make disciples in all nations and care for those disciples. It's our mission. It's what we're told to do. Mark 16. It's all about the kingdom. Mark 16 is what God has commissioned us to do.

It's our missionary program, if you want to put it that way. Certain groups and their people on missionary programs.

Our mission as a church, as a group, is to preach the gospel. Mark 16, verse 15, He said to them, go into all the world, preach the gospel to every person. He that believes in His baptized shall be saved. He that does not believe shall be condemned. But He said, go take this message to the world. And that's what we're trying to do as a group in every way we can. With a message of hope, with a message that here's the way to go. Here's how you can get out of your difficulties. The kingdom of God seminars, which were wonderful, stirring, inspiring. For lots of people.

What did they have? Something like 80, 90 some over in Sri Lanka?

And did a kingdom of God seminar. 80 to 90 people showed up.

Out of a group of about 17 or 18.

Church members. 80 to 90.

People are hungry for truth, knowledge. The world stops eterve and crazy. People want knowledge about what's going on, what's happening here. They want hope. Our mission, we'll cover that. Luke chapter 4, verse 43. It's a must. We must do that. Luke 4, verse 43. So again, our mission is something we must accomplish.

Jesus Christ said this. He said to them, I must preach the gospel of the kingdom of God to other cities also, for therefore am I sent. I must preach the gospel. We must preach the gospel. I was in Pasadena when Herbert Armstrong died. I wondered what it would be like as I drove from Arcadia, where our home was, to Pasadena, to a meeting in the auditorium after Mr. Armstrong's death. Immediately after Mr. Armstrong's death. I thought, how would it be? Will it ever be the same? Little did I know it wouldn't ever be the same. For a while it was.

Who will carry on this message? How would go forth anymore? Who's going to do the telecast? Who's going to do the broadcast? How's this going to go on anymore? Brethren, Jesus Christ can do it through stones.

It doesn't have to be any special person or persons or organization.

We just need to make sure we're engaged in that process. And I'm pleased to say that United is doing its best to get that Gospel out. Television with new things on the Internet, websites, with trying to advertise as best we can. The Kingdom of God seminars was a wonderful stroke to help get out to new people. Not everybody's going to respond and come running in and say, I want to be a part of you. But it is a witness. One person I met in Cincinnati, I didn't try to go up and meet everybody that I thought was new, because I thought 240 of us, that somebody were a church that day at the seminar, and maybe 20-some new people, I think there were 17 or 14 or 15, whatever, they would be overwhelmed. But the person was sitting near me. I went up to him, said hello, introduced myself to him. I said, I'm Gary Antje, and I teach at Ambassador Bible Center. I've been with the church for a while. And he said, oh, I said, Ambassador College? Yeah. He said, Herbert Armstrong, right? Yeah. He said, I've listened for years. I've listened for years. But he's never done anything about it yet. He stayed for both messages that day. That was a good sign. So I don't know if he'll come back to the next one or not, but we were very pleasant, chatted and talked with him. I didn't try to do any persuasion. I just talked with him in general. But it's amazing how many people have heard. This is a message that's going out. How many people, one day, wherever it will be, tribulation or otherwise, will come to say, you know, they were right. Things that I only read about in my political science book in 1958, when I was going to another college, that said there's something on the horizon in the future that could be a United States of Europe. And I got up. My eyes looked, and I thought, Mr. Armstrong's been saying this. A United States of Europe, right in this political science book. It was shocking for me. And things that we said would probably happen or starting to happen.

Economic woes in Europe, except the one country that doesn't have the woes is Germany.

Will they be looked to again, like they've been a couple wars ago?

Watch world news. Kingdom of God seminars, helping people understand what's in store, what they can do about it. Because one day, when they're sitting in the midst of a great tribulation, just maybe they will repent. Just maybe they'll be spared all the troubles of the day of God's wrath upon this earth. For you have the 144,000 and the Anubrum will balditude in Revelation 7. Our mission, preach the gospel. We must preach it. Luke 8 and verse 1. Luke 8 and verse 1. And it came to pass afterwards that he went throughout every city and village preaching and showing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him. We have a job to do. We have a mission to preach the gospel. We have a mission to tell people not only if there's a better world coming, but how to get there. And John 14 and verse 6. John 14 and verse 6.

Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father but by me. So once again, you can't be called unless God draws you, you can't be called to Christ, you can't go to the Father without Christ. It's in his name that you can be spared.

You must be spared by the name of Jesus Christ. He's the one that will lead us. It's his death and his life that will save us. His death justifies us. His life saves us because he's our high priest who ever lives, ever lives to make intercession for us.

Luke 1 verse 17.

Luke 1 verse 17. Not only what must we preach the gospel, we must make ready a people. What are we all doing to help each other be a part of God's kingdom?

Are we encouraging each other? Praying for each other?

Giving each other help? Exhortation? When needed? Luke 1 verse 17.

Here's what the Spirit and power of Elijah, the work of God, would do. He shall go before him and the Spirit and power of Elijah, turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the eternal.

Part of our job is preparing God's people. To be in that kingdom. What good does it do if I tell you about the good news of God's kingdom, but don't tell you how to get there? And don't help you get there. Because you know good. There's something great over there, but I don't know how to get there. There's something wonderful happening, but I don't know how to go over there. I don't know how to find it. What good does it do you? None. Good thoughts. But it doesn't avail.

So our job, preach the gospel. Preach the gospel. Get that message out. It's our mission.

The third way that we need to relate to the kingdom is in our lives now.

You realize that your life has been transferred, and you realize that your life has been transferred, to the kingdom of God.

That's why Paul could say, my citizenship isn't here.

Now I'm as patriotic as they come. I love America.

It's the land of my nativity. I also love Canada. Fourteen years I spent up there. It's my second home.

I love those countries, but I'm really a citizen. I love the world. But I'm really a citizen of the kingdom of God.

That's where my citizenship has been transferred. Colossians chapter 1 verse 13. So the kingdom is about our life. It's about how we're living now. What we're doing with the knowledge of God's kingdom. What we're doing with knowing that God has in store for us the opportunity to lead and rule in the kingdom of God and lead others to that kingdom now and in the future. Colossians 1.13. Interesting scripture.

He says, giving thanks to the Father, verse 12, who has made us meet worthy to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, who has delivered us from the power of darkness and has translated us or transferred us into the kingdom of his dear son. It's our life. It's what our lives are about.

You see, it's great to picture the kingdom when we're here at the feast. Do you live a life that is representative of the kingdom when you're back home? Is your life emblematic of representation of the kingdom of God back home? Among your friends, among your associates at work, among those you go to the meet at the grocery store, among your neighbors, among your family members who aren't in the church? What do they see in you? I tell the students, they have no idea how refreshing they are. Employer after employer after employer would say, I'd love to have your student work for me. I'd love to have somebody like that. Why? Because they're honest, they're bright, they're hardworking, they're caring. Wow!

Who wouldn't want someone like that? Because you're around each other all the time, you don't realize how beautiful you are. Because God's working with you and in you. You have no idea because you're around others like you. It's like a bunch of lights all shining. You don't realize you're a light.

I have to tell you, my daughter bought us...we went to Disneyland before to be happy, before the feast. We went to Disneyland, my older daughter made us all shirts. Highlighter yellow.

I had on a picture of the Disneyland castle, 2011, underneath it, the happiest family on earth. They had our names on the back, the teen mouse, ears and face. So we're walking all over there, all ten of us, and everywhere we go it's like the sun has come into that area. There were so many remarks made about us, I was almost embarrassed, but again, I was pleased that my daughter had done highlighter yellow. I should have worn my shirt today. It gave you warmth immediately, as soon as you see it. But ten of us sitting together, going on one of the rides, was pretty spectacular. God wants you to shine as lights, and individually, you do.

Have an impact on the people that are around you. You see, you're a representative of that kingdom. 2 Corinthians 5 and verse 20. 2 Corinthians 5 and verse 20.

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ. And by the way, I challenged the brethren in Escondido to make somebody's day. You know how Dirty Harry would always say, Make my day. He'd like to shoot people. Well, make people's day, not by shooting them or killing them. Make their day by doing something nice. Just to one person every day at the feast. If you did something nice to just one person, different person, that would be like eight days. Well, now you don't have that many days. But even in the world, to say something nice, do something nice, make a difference by being outgoing. Make somebody's day. We talk about people being outgoing, and you immediately think, Well, I'm not outgoing. I'm shy. Outgoing does not have to do with your personality. It does have to do with your thoughts. And it does have to do with your actions. Outgoing means you think about others as much more than yourself.

That doesn't mean you are an instantaneous bubble machine, you know, like Lawrence Welk show. It doesn't mean that. It means that you care, that you think about others, and that your thoughts are about them, too.

Make somebody's day. Be a representative of the kingdom, but not just here at the feast every day. Every day of your life. Think, how can I make somebody's day? How can I make somebody... How can I make a difference in their day? I was up in the northwest when I came up for the camp up here and did some present ABC presentations. We went to lunch with a couple, and there was a waitress who did a really outstanding job, and I appreciated her. I told her how much I appreciated her. You know what she wrote on the back of our receipt when it came back? You have made my day.

I have not been treated that nice in whatever it was, days or weeks.

All I did was thank her for doing a great job, and I wasn't flattering. She did a great job. I could have kept quiet and said, I deserve this because I am me, and therefore I deserve this. She deserves the weight on me. She deserves to give me excellent service because I am an excellent human being. Therefore, I should get excellent service. But my thought was, you know what? I eat it out of a lot of places, and I don't always get excellent service. When I do get it, I want them to know that I appreciate it. And she was so humble about it, she wrote on the back, thank you so much. You made my day. It doesn't take much, brethren. In fact, it helps you. I got rid of some carbon dioxide by saying some nice things. I actually helped myself, without more room for oxygen to come in. 2 Corinthians 5, 20, you're a representative of God's kingdom. Your life is. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ. As though God did beseech you by us, we beg you in Christ's stead that you be reconciled to God. You are an ambassador of a kingdom. It is not here yet. It's our life. It's what it's about. It's how we live now to be lights in the world. Philippians 2, 12. Philippians 2, 12. On this third point, it's all about the kingdom. The kingdom is about our life.

We're on the road to eternal life. Philippians 2, 12. As you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. We go to God's church and we're told, hey, don't park here, park over there. OK, don't sit here, sit over there. OK. We learn to obey. Other people say, do this. Who do you think you are telling me what to do? Who do you think you are? Does the world like to be told what to do? No. God's people, as you always have obeyed. No, you don't obey silliness and you don't obey sin, ever.

But if somebody asks you to do something, you're cooperative. You learn that. That's godly.

And the world loves it. The world's authority loves it. Those same authority figures may not want anybody to tell them what to do, but they sure like you listening, don't they?

Verse 13, for it is God which works in you, both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings. Why? That you may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom you shine as lights in the world. Now those yellow highlighters made us shine. But I'll tell you, if we weren't kind and nice to people, those lights would have been very dim.

God wants you to shine in the world because the kingdom is about your life. You've been transferred there. Transferred. 2 Peter 1, verses 10 and 11. 2 Peter 1, verses 10 and 11.

We read what the Apostle Peter said about our life. Wherefore the rather brethren, give diligence to make your calling an election sure. You can't earn anything, but you have a lot to do with whether you're cooperative. You have a lot to do with whether or not you're going to be putty in God's hands and pliable. And that's through humility. That we have to humble ourselves before God. We have to pray and study and draw near to Him and ask Him to live His life in us. But He says, wherefore the rather brethren, give diligence to make your calling an election sure. For if you do these things, these things are listed in verses 5, 6 and 7. Adding to your faith virtue and virtue knowledge, knowledge temperance and temperance, patience and godliness and godliness, brotherly kindness, brotherly kindness love. If you add these ladder of virtues into your life, He says, if you do these things, you'll never fall. See, they're all about being outgoing and caring and thinking about others. Verse 11 says, For so an entrance shall be administered to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It's all about the kingdom, living life now as a representative and ambassador of the kingdom of God. Number four, the kingdom is about our hope, but it's not only our hope for ourselves, it's our hope for others, which is what I love about God's Holy Day plan. I would never have to keep the Day of Atonement if it was about me. You know, if you wanted the Holy Day plans to only picture you, you'd stop at trumpets.

When you're changed and you have to work at being at one with God when you're a spirit being, I don't think so. The Day of Atonement is a day that we fast the picture of people drawing closer to God. And yes, it is a byproduct of our lives now. We draw closer to God. But as far as the plan of salvation is concerned, we're talking only about you. Stop at trumpets. But the last three atonement, tabernacles, and the last great day are all about the hope of the world. And I love these. So on the Day of Atonement, I always try to give a bigger offering than I give on trumpets when I'm happier.

I always try to give a bigger offering. On the Day of Atonement, I just say, No way am I saying, sire grapes, I'm fasting, I'm not going to give as big an offering as I don't feel as good. Bigger offering on the Day of Atonement.

And I can keep it joyfully even though it hurts, because I'm human like you, not spirit yet. Even though at times I get a headache, and even though at times my stomach is growling and sending messages saying, I'm hungry, I can keep the Day of Atonement joyfully, because I'm doing it. For the peoples of this world. That when they say, there's my God, now I know who He is. When the veils, we'll talk about the veils of deception tonight. When those veils are stripped from their eyes and they can see clearly. That was a song I can see clearly now, they can see clearly. Saying the devil's stripped away. It's about them, and our hope is for us to be a part of God's kingdom. And our hope is for the world.

Titus 1 verse 2. Sure it's about you. In the kingdom of God, you'll have eternal life. Titus 1 and verse 2.

In hope of eternal life. That's when you get it, to be a part of the kingdom, right? The Feast of Trumpets. What's proclaimed? The kingdoms of this world, or become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ? And what happens at that last trump? You're raised, made spirit. In hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie, promised before the world began. We have an awesome hope. Over in 1 Peter 1 verses 3 and 4. 1 Peter 1 verses 3 and 4. We read what Peter wrote.

About hope. One of the basic themes of Peter is hope, through sufferings. 1 Peter 1 and verse 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy, has begotten us again into a lively hope, or a living hope. But see, our living hope is not just about us. It's about my family that doesn't believe. I have my dad and mom didn't believe. Mother relatives out there don't believe, many of them.

They don't know any better. It's about lots of people that don't believe and don't know the truth.

Blessed be God our Father, which according to His abundant mercy, has begotten us again to a lively or a living hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. That's how you get to be in God's kingdom.

Flesh and blood can't enter it. My hope for them is one day they can be changed too. He says, verse 4, to an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, that fades not away, reserved in heaven for you. God has reservations for you. Now because they're in heaven doesn't mean that's where you're going, because I may call a day in reservations. Sometimes they're made in Memphis and sometimes they're made in Bombay, India. That's not where I'm going. I may have wanted to stay in Galveston, Texas. The reservations were made in Memphis, Tennessee, or Bombay, India, or whatever else. Canada sometimes, or they have somebody working there to take the reservations. Where are you going to be where God is? Where is God going to be? He's coming back to this earth. That's where you're going to be. That's where the work is. But He has reservations for you. Not about you, but for you. That's pretty awesome. He wants you to be there. 1 Corinthians 2, verse 9. It's our hope. It's our hope. And it's something to comprehend that God would call you and me. Angels desire to look into the things that you know. They look down and they look at you and they say, What? You're going to make them over us? Those bumbling, bumbling, error-prone people? You're going to put them over us? God says, Yes. Yes, they'll be my children in the Kingdom of God. 2 Corinthians 2, 9. As it is written, I has not seen nor ear heard, neither has entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for them that love Him. God's prepared for you a kingdom. It's our hope. It's our hope not only for us. It's our hope for all people. Romans 8, 18. Romans 8, verse 18. The world now is struggling, struggling mightily in some cases. Verse 18 of Romans 8, For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation waits for the manifestation of the sons of God. The world is waiting for you. The animals are waiting for you.

There's a list of animals now that are virtually extinct because man has killed them off so many he found that he liked them. He killed them all in various parts of the world. The world is waiting for you. Verse 20. For the creation was made subject to vanity, not willingly. You were too. Just doing things that don't have any lasting value. Not willingly, but by reason of him who subjected the same in hope. Because the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption to the glorious liberty of the children of God, a time of restoration. For we know that the whole world groans and travails in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves, which have the first truths of the spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves. We're not groaning about not having any hope. We're groaning because we can't wait to get there. We're groaning because we know how many foibles we have, how many mistakes we make, how many blunders and sins we have. That we have to repent of every day. But we know that God is going to save you. Even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption or sonship. Yes, the redemption of our body. For we are saved by hope. But hope that is seen is not hope. If a man sees it, why does he hope for it? We're saved by hope. Our hope is in the kingdom of God. In verse 25, But if we hope for that, then we see not. Then do we with patience wait for it. That's what we have to be, is patient, waiting for that time when God's kingdom will be here. Many pictures of God's kingdom in the book of Isaiah, chapter 2, chapter 25, chapter 35. Chapter 11, chapter 10. All types of scriptures that talk about the millennium. Especially when the animals will be tamed, when people will be tamed. When nations will get along, when Assyria and Egypt and Israel will all be together with serving God. Each one outdoing the other in service to God. When has that ever been? Never.

But it will be, because that's our hope. Not just for ourselves, but for all. So, brethren, as we observe this seven-day feast and the last day, let's remember, it's all about the kingdom, it's all about our goal, our mission, our life, and our hope. Let's pray for it, let's seek it, let's hasten it, let's get ready for it, because it truly is all about the kingdom of God.