My Kingdom Is Not of This World

Well, brethren, the feast season we just walked through was an incredibly wonderful and uplifting time. I hope you enjoyed the Feast of Tabernacles in the eighth day that we've just returned from, certainly as much as I did. I had the opportunity this year to go to Nigeria to assemble with 130 of God's people there. It came from different directions around Nigeria and, despite challenges that are even in that region, God granted safe travels and a wonderful facility for us to assemble at and a wonderful opportunity for us to be together. So I hope you enjoyed that as well, wherever you went. Took a side trip over to Ghana following the feast through last Sabbath. And as well, they had a wonderful feast. They were assembled then together with the other three congregations that had recently rejoined the United Church of God. And 290 of them were assembled for the Feast of Tabernacles in Cape Coast, Ghana.

And they said it was the best feast they've had in years. And it was just a wonderful rejoicing to be together. So again, we've just returned home from that wonderful time. The Feast of Tabernacles, the last great day to follow, and we're sharing stories. We're sharing memories.

The church hall was usually a buzz, you know, for at least a few weeks after the feast as people reassemble and share in that excitement with one another. And while we were there, we focused our attention throughout that season on the vision that God gives us, again, of His soon-coming kingdom. The Kingdom of God is not literally here, reigning on the earth yet, but it is to come. And brethren, it is reigning in our lives today. So when we come together and we reflect upon that, when we learn more about that, it is certainly encouraging.

And we come to understand even more so the future that God has in store, not only for you and me, but for all of mankind. The purpose for man that, frankly, as everybody else outside these walls are going about their way, really don't have a clue about. You know, they're going in various directions. As they came up the main street, there's signs. There's people out by the street corners holding signs. You see a lot of political signs right now, a lot of phone calls, and there's a lot of things going on related to the ways of the world.

And we've just come through the ways of the kingdom of God. And I hope refreshed, I hope encouraged, with our vision ignited as to what God has called us to. And again, what he has in store for all of mankind. Through keeping the Holy Days, we caught a glimpse of the blessings of that kingdom, what it will bring to the entire world as the knowledge of the Lord covers the earth, as the waters cover the sea.

Just as there's not a dry place under the surface of the ocean, there won't be a dry place on the face of this earth that does not have knowledge of who God the Father is, who his Son Jesus Christ is, and the purpose, and frankly, the reason for our creation. They'll understand the standard of God. Their mind will be opened by the blessing of God's calling.

And as a result, peace and harmony will flow out across the whole earth. Again, that's a result of God's kingdom and the ways of God reigning. Peace will come about. Peace will spring forward in a way that this earth has never seen. Peace between God and man. Peace between man and man, and peace between man and all of creation. You know, we're told that all of creation groans for the revealing of the sons of God and ultimately, his kingdom.

That which will set things as God intended from the beginning. And so we're reminded of those days, reminded of the time when swords will be beaten in the plowshares and spears into pruning hooks, right, representing a change in man's nature and character. Man will not lift up hand and sword and aggression against the man again, and it will be reflected actually in the animal realm as well as peace settles in in all creation. We read verses like, the wolf shall also dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young kid, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.

Brethren, I hope we never grow tired of those scriptures. Never grow tired of just thinking about those, meditating on those, and we understand that the, I would say, the physical reflection that we'll see in the physical realm is actually the result of what is taking place in the spiritual realm. As God by his spirit reaches down and changes the hearts and minds of all creation, and they come into harmony with him once again. Abundance will be the result. The plowmen will overtake the reaper. The desert will blossom as a rose. I go from Spokane to the Tri-Cities, and you see where there's irrigation out there being pumped.

There's green fields. There's crops that's growing, but there's also a lot of desolate land, and to think of when all the desolate places that have been barren from productive use are put into production and abundance that will abound. It'd just be incredible to consider. Plowmen overtaking the reaper and the tremendous yield and harvest.

The living waters of God, as we know, will flow out from God's temple in Jerusalem, bringing life and vitality to wherever they go. They'll flow down into the Dead Sea, and the Dead Sea will become the live sea. Life and vitality springs forth again wherever the rivers flow, as the word tells us. It also refers to other places showers of blessing that will fall upon the earth.

I've thought about that. Rain is a blessing, but showers of blessing. If you think God's living water flowing out, and the earth's function will still continue in this physical realm, evaporation will pick up that water. At least, as I would rationalize it. This is a personal speculation, but evaporation picks up that water. It goes up. It forms clouds. The clouds move out across the desert. The rain falls. Showers of blessing and healing upon the earth. We've just remembered these days. We've just walked through those days. In addition to that, the glorified firstfruits you and I will reign alongside Jesus Christ, his bride in white, helping to bring knowledge of God's way, helping to illustrate that, yes, you know what? Just as you are, we were human beings once. And God brought us through this process. And the success of what God can do is now reflected in our being. And as a bride of Christ, we can serve this world alongside him. And ultimately, the, I would say, the capstone to all of that joy will be the blessing of God dwelling with his creation. As the New Jerusalem comes, as God dwells with his people forever, and of the increase of his government and peace, there will be no end. Of course, we read about that in Isaiah chapter 9, of the increase, of the expansion, there will be no end. You know, physical human beings, we want smaller and smaller government, not greater and greater government, but when the righteous king is on the throne and God our Father rules all creation, that's going to expand out forever into eternity. Always growing, always increasing, always bringing blessing in all the ways that God intends, frankly in ways we can't even imagine. So for me, walking through these holy days, we're so encouraging, so uplifting, and I hope they were for you as well. And if you haven't gotten a clue yet, I'm not ready to let that vision go. I appreciated Mr. Frickie's sermonette, and he introduced the fact that we've just come back from this feast, but you know what? This is the vision, not just for a moment of time, and now you set on the shelf and move on. This is the vision God has given us to live and our purpose of being each and every day. And so I'm not ready to let that go. In fact, I'd like to continue to at least speak to an aspect of that today, keeping the vision of life, holding on to it, and letting it have an impact on our life today. The title of my message is, My Kingdom is Not of This World. My kingdom is not of this world. It's a phrase, frankly, brethren, that has popped up in my mind multiple times throughout the week, just since coming home from West Africa. As I turn on the news or look around, this phrase comes to mind. In fact, I've started speaking it actually verbally more often, just even to myself. My kingdom is not of this world. As much as we love the Feast of Tabernacles and the last great day, the time comes when that block of time is over. At least that that wholly appointed time that God has placed on the calendar.

That passes. We pack our things up. We head back home. We return to our jobs, right? We return to schooling. We return to the normal routine of eking out a living in this world. We might say it's business as usual. I always go back after the Feast to a sermon Larry Walker gave years ago in Bend.

He talked about back to reality. He said, you know, when we arrived at the Feast, that is reality.

The things we walk through, the things we look to, the things that are seen are temporary. That's what God's Word tells us. Things that are not seen are eternal. So when we come back here, I don't like to say, okay, now back to reality. No, what God has purposed is reality. This is just a temporary part of the ride along the way. But we still live in this world. We're still making our way through these things alongside our fellow human beings. And so we come back and look around and realize maybe the world really hasn't changed so much while we were gone. And Darla got up one morning this week and came out. And, you know, as happens when I first come home from West Africa, the internal alarm goes off somewhere between 3 and 4 a.m. And I'm awake. And then I'm ready for bed about 7 p.m. But I was up early, and I got my coffee, and I turned on the news. And Darla eventually made her way out. And she says, well, what's happening in the news? I said, same thing.

Same thing as before we left. The war in Ukraine continues.

Political upheaval continues right now in Iran specifically, as well as other places in the world.

Inflation is still a reality. The economy is front and center. And on the point of inflation, I would just ask you to pray for our brethren in Nigeria and Ghana, and frankly, probably many other places in the world. Because we get impacted by, I don't know, 8, 9, 10 percent, 12, 14 percent inflation. And we do feel it. But maybe we just sort of tend to trim the fat. And but we still get by, right? But literally what's happening in West Africa is officially it's about 49 to 52 percent inflation. Unofficially, honestly, it's 100 percent, perhaps 200 percent in a number of places.

Just to give you a little perspective, the Ghana CD, which is their currency, the CD against the dollar in May, was 7 Ghanaian CD to the dollar. That was the exchange rate in May.

Ben Light and I were back in West Africa in August for youth camp in Nigeria, and then over to Ghana.

Went in exchange dollars for CD. It went from 7 CD to the dollar to 10 CD to the dollar. And you see, this was dramatic because when I first started traveling to West Africa in, well, Ghana specifically around 2014, I think it was, it was two to one. Okay, two CD to the dollar.

It was seven this spring in May. It was 12, excuse me, it was 10 in August. And when I left on this trip, it was 14 CD to the dollar. So it's gone from 7 to 14 in terms of the devaluation of their currency. And frankly, the dollar is flying high, right? A 40-year high. But it's having a dramatic effect. And when you live in a country where anything that is imported, which is a lot of stuff, it comes in to the borders, it's coming in on the dollar scale. So now your currency is devalued to half, and you're trying to simply make ends meet. So I say just pray for our brethren there, both Nigeria and Ghana, other places in the world that are in similar circumstances. It is, it is quite difficult at this time. And again, it's the reality of the world we live in.

The media started using the phrase tridemic, or triple demic. I noticed that here this week to describe essentially a combination of this winter's flu, COVID, and RSV-related illnesses. It's hitting kind of on a triple spread there. Fuel prices are still up. Political campaign ads are blaring in our faces and ringing the phone off the hook. I looked at the caller ID this morning. I said, no, thank you. Got other things on my mind. It's here. And we walk out of, I guess my point, the Feast of Tabernacles, the kingdom of God, the solution to the world's issues. And we stray then now back to our homes and back into the world. And we see this contrast is dramatic. Halloween popping up around us, commercials in your face, and you know, people ringing the phone and says, I can fix it all. Right? Vote for me. I can fix it all. Yesterday I was pulling out of the driveway and an employee of one of my neighbor's businesses was on the road anyway. And I just stopped and said, hi, I've known him for a lot of years. And he was talking about a number of issues actually going on. And he says, what is God doing in this world? He knows I'm a pastor. He says, why is God allowing these things? What is God doing? And do you think this election is going to fix it?

I said, no, you know, and I said, what God is doing is he is allowing mankind the opportunity to do it their way. I said, but a change is coming. It's going to get worse before it gets better. But the solution is coming. Jesus Christ will return. The kingdom of God will be established. And the solution will be here. I said, just hang on. He said, boy, I hope the Bible is true. I said, it's true. Just hang on. So this is the world, again, we live in in great contrast to what we were just celebrating for eight days. You know, again, I keep telling myself, my kingdom is not of this world.

My kingdom is not of this world. And frankly, that gives me peace. That gives me encouragement and comfort as well. When I say my kingdom is not of this world, what I mean is that this world does not reflect my values. It does not reflect my faith. It doesn't even reflect my hope in a hope for a solid future. And it certainly doesn't reflect my salvation. My relationship with God and the kingdom of God is what gives me hope in those things and gives me encouragement. And so, when I say my kingdom is not of this world, believe me, when I say it gives me peace, because it reminds me that the solution isn't coming from within, it's coming from without, from elsewhere, as the establishment of the kingdom of God brings what it is this world so desperately needs. That's what we've just lived for the last eight days. That's what we've just rejoiced in. We left our homes and we went and dwelled in temporary dwellings. You know, our forefathers did that. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, God called them out of where they were. The Bible says they were sojourners. Hebrews 11, along with so many others, and they dwelt in temporary dwellings. They set up their tent and they pounded in tent pegs, because that keeps it from blowing away in the wind. But that's not a foundation. But those wandered about with a vision of God's kingdom, because, as the Bible says, they waited for the city which has foundations. Okay, when a city has a foundation, it goes down deep and it's solid and it's permanent. And they looked for that city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. So the reminder is we're just passing through. We're not putting down permanent roots here. God has called us out of this world to another way. And again, when I say my kingdom is not of this world, it brings me peace. It brings me peace because I don't have to drive myself crazy in the here and now, trying to figure out, how am I going to fix this from within? Because I'm reminded the solution comes from God. You're not going to elect the right person that can solve it all. You're not going to legislate righteousness from the bench, even. We've been called, brethren, to live according to the kingdom yet to come. A different standard, a different king, a different mindset and character that will guide and direct all things. It's the kingdom of solutions and the kingdom of true peace and harmony. Declaring those solutions to the world today, that's my focus. That's honestly where I think I can make the impact. Is declaring the truth of the kingdom of God and that there is hope.

I don't know. Recently, it's just opportunities have opened themselves in conversations on multiple fronts. And I'm not embarrassed. I'm not reserved by saying, you know, that's not the solution.

This is the solution. It is what God is offering, you know, take encouragement and what will come with His Son and His kingdom. Let's notice the emphasis Jesus Christ's message had as His earthly ministry began. What did Jesus Christ come out the gate preaching? What did He maintain all through that ministry? Let's go to Mark chapter 1 here today. Mark chapter 1.

Understand that the world that Jesus Christ lived in was a very politically charged and unsettled place as well. It involved Roman dominance over the Jews. It involved taxation of the Romans upon the people. It involved the Roman boot of oppression upon the neck of, frankly, the covenant people of God in that time. And so they were desperate for a Savior.

They were desperate for someone who would rise up and throw the shackles of oppression of the Romans off of them, lead them, frankly, in revolt and restore the glory to Israel. That's what they were looking for. That was what they were praying for. And in fact, that was the gospel message of many of the false messiahs that rose up around the time of Jesus Christ. Follow me. This is a revolt to liberate Israel. But what was Jesus' message? Notice it was something different altogether.

Mark chapter 1, beginning in verse 14, it says, Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee preaching the gospel, the good news of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled in the kingdom of God. Is at hand repent and believe in the gospel? In spite of all that was going on around him, the upheaval, the turmoil in the system around him, Jesus Christ's message was focusing on the good news of the kingdom of God. It was a message conveying hope that there's a better way coming. And you know what? You can be a part in it. Just repent. Believe in the gospel.

This was an invitation, personally, extended by the soon-coming king of that kingdom. And it's how you come out of the ways of this world. And it's frankly how you have peace. Get your life in order. Be reconciled to God. Believe in the gospel. And you can play such an important part in the solution that is yet to come. You can find the same theme all throughout Jesus' teachings in the gospels. Go through Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. If you count them all up as a package, the term kingdom of God is used 53 times. And if you want to include other things like the kingdom of heaven and other variations of that as well, it's a lot more times even than that. It was the focus of Jesus' public proclamation. It was the vision and the focus that he wanted people who followed him to grab hold of. The kingdom of God. A reconciled relationship with their father in heaven. This is the solution. This is the way that leads to life. Again, that was the message of Jesus Christ. It was his proclamation both publicly and privately. And in fact, during his interactions with his closest disciples, he said, pray thy kingdom come. Okay, make that your earnest plea to God in heaven. Pray thy kingdom come. Thy will be done. Your will, Father, not my will on earth as it is in heaven. We don't always know. We don't always understand, as I told my neighbor's employee, why God is allowing things to work out in the way they do. But we know we worship a God who will set all things right in the end. And he works all things out for his good purpose. And indeed, we can have confidence in that. Seek first of the kingdom of God, Matthew 6, 33, in all your pursuits. That's the focus that Jesus left us with through his ministry.

Modern-day politics is not the gospel message, brethren. Modern-day politics is not the gospel message. There's a massive evangelical movement taking place in this country. I would say a religious fervor and revival around a political focus. And frankly, there's a number of articles you could go and read. It is tearing a degree of the evangelical churches apart around us, as what you would call maybe the traditionalists. They say, no, this is our message as a church.

The good news of a kingdom, the good news of Jesus Christ, and others say, yes, but we've been called to be a driving force to affect that good on earth now. And literally, what message is the church proclaiming out has become essentially a battle internally in the evangelical war or world, excuse me. You can go to what would almost appear to be like a church service. Christian rock music playing, scriptures being read, but it's actually a political rally. And you take that energy, that religious fervor, and now you're driving it down a certain political slant. And then you're getting things shared all over the place on Facebook. You have pictures of, I don't know, Donald Trump sitting at his desk in the Oval Office with Jesus Christ standing behind him, resting his hands on his shoulders. Okay, maybe you've seen it. It's been around. What is it that is the message of the church? What is it God has called the church to proclaim? Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. You can be a part of it. Be reconciled to God. Brethren, that is the solution. That is the message. That is the gospel that we drive forward as the church of God.

Last time I checked, the laws of righteousness are already on the books. Right? Here it is.

Laws of righteousness are already on the books, written by the finger of God. And so, if this is not going to be submitted to by those of this age, we got to understand that righteousness is not going to be legislated from the bench or by a law that is passed within a system. This is not just a law issue. Brethren, ultimately this is a heart issue. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for a law in this nation that bans abortion. I pray that be. Okay. But again, righteousness cannot be legislated when the ultimate issue is a heart issue. And that is the realm in which God has called us to engage this world at the heart level. Called to repentance, a call to change, a call to reconciliation with their God, a call to obedience to what is already codified by the creator of the universe.

Indeed, that is where our focus and emphasis must lie. The good news of the return of Jesus Christ, the establishment of the kingdom of God that we proclaim to the world has been and always will be the message of truth, of hope, and of godly solutions in an age that so desperately needs it.

People need hope. I was talking to a young man in Ghana. I had arrived on, actually, a week ago Thursday early in the morning. I was in the hotel and I went down to have breakfast for the small dining room. There's a television on and there's basically a town hall meeting of leaders there in Ghana. They're trying to walk through financial circumstances, inflation, things are going on, and they're talking about what is the solution to this. There was a young man, probably around 25 years old, that was sitting at a table next to me. He seemed quite dejected as we were listening to this. He turned to me and he said, you know what we need? I said, what? His word's not mine. We need the whites to come rule over us. I said, what do you mean? He says, well, we see how life works in your world and how life works in our world and we need you to come rule over us. And I said, you know, that's not the solution. We have our own set of problems that, frankly, you don't have here.

And I don't know that I would trade some things of the standard of our system. There's things that are not tolerated there that are tolerated here. So let me just say, we don't sell as a package all righteousness as a nation. I said, the solution is the return of Jesus Christ in the Kingdom of God and blessing for all that God has in store. We can share that message and we must, brethren, share the message. It's the kingdom we live under today, the kingdom that reigns in our life, and it's the answer we proclaim to this age. Looking at the time I'm getting behind in my notes, so let me see what I can do to pull this together. Jesus Christ. Let's go back to Rome, their dominance over Israel. Let's go back to the message that Jesus proclaimed. He never incited the people against Rome. He was the king that people would have accepted as the Messiah, as a king, to reign in his age, but he never put himself forward in that way politically. People sought to entrap him, didn't they? The Jewish leadership. You know, is it lawful to pay taxes or is it not? And Christ said, well, you know, look at the coin. Who's inscription? Whose face is on this? Very well, pay to Caesar that which is due Caesar. Give to God that which is God. And he never allowed himself to get drug into, I would say, the things of this world. He brought the things of the kingdom of God. He said, the kingdom of God has come near to you because that king of that kingdom was there in their midst and in their presence, declaring the solution. The phrase, my kingdom is not of this world, originated as Jesus Christ stood before Pilate under arrest, and frankly, that was the defense he offered. Let's notice that in context. John chapter 18 verse 29.

John chapter 18 in verse 29 says, Pilate went out to them, out to the Jewish crowd that was gathered, and he said, what accusation do you bring against this man? And they answered and they said to him, if he were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered him up to you. And Pilate said to them, you take him, you judge him according to your law. Therefore the Jews said to him, it is not lawful for us to put anyone to death. Romans had the power of that, but the Jews didn't in that system.

Now the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he had spoke signifying by what death he would die.

Then Pilate entered to pray, Toram again. He called Jesus, and he said to him, are you the king of the Jews? Jesus answered him, are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning me? Pilate answered, saying, am I a Jew? He says, your own nation, your own chief priests have delivered you to me. What have you done? You have to understand, Pilate, as the Roman governor in Judea, his primary responsibility was to maintain peace, maintain order in that province which he oversaw. In the Jewish high priest, well, they hoped to convince Pilate that Christ was a troublemaker. He was a rebel rouser. He was seeking to incite a rebellion against Rome.

Again, that's what many of the false Christs would come out with in their day. They accused Jesus Christ of claiming to be a king. Now he was a king, but he didn't go around proclaiming himself and claiming that in a way to draw people after him. But that was the accusation, because he then insinuated that he was rising up against Rome, against the authority in that way. And it was the Jews hope then that they would put Jesus Christ to death as an instigator of a rebellion, ultimately by accusing him of his kingship. Verse 36, Jesus answered and said, my kingdom is not of this world. That was his defense. My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight so that I would not be delivered to the Jews. But now my kingdom is not from here. He admitted he was part of a kingdom and a head of that kingdom, but one that wasn't in opposition to Pilate or Rome in a political way at that time, not one that they needed to fear. If his kingdom were of this world, he says, his servants would stand up. His servants would fight. His servants would engage in action here and now and not allow him to be delivered.

They would oppose Rome. They would oppose Jews and Judah. But Christ says, my kingdom is not from here. It's not from this place. And frankly, he told his disciples at the time of his arrest to stand down, not up. Verse 37, Pilate therefore said to him, are you a king then? Jesus answered, you say rightly that I am a king for this cause I was born, for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the world hears my voice. Pilate just said, well, what is truth? What is truth? But you see, Jesus Christ declares the truth. And he is a king. And he's the king of the kingdom that God will bring. He's not coming. He certainly didn't come the first time to be the king of a physical mortal kingdom, standing up in opposition to the nations around him. He will come again to take part in the establishment of the kingdom of God.

But his defense, again, to Pilate was simply, my kingdom is not of this world. It drives its authority. It derives its oversight and direction from a different place than this altogether.

It's from God in heaven. Jesus Christ said, this is essentially, this is of my Father.

And so, indeed, there are a number of passages in the Bible that reflect the fact that we've been called to focus our lives on something greater than ourselves, but frankly, something that comes from a source outside of this world. The kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ at the establishment of the kingdom of God. But they are not his in terms of representative of him, nor his people. The fact is, when we become disciples of Jesus Christ ourselves, through repentance, through baptism, the receiving of God's Holy Spirit, the way is opened for us then to be citizens of the very same heavenly kingdom that Jesus identified himself with at his first coming. You and I have citizenship in another place. Clause in chapter 1, verse 9.

Clause in chapter 1 and verse 9. I do strongly encourage us to stand up and exercise our citizenship and our citizens' rights, but let us remember where the highest priority of those things lie. Clause in chapter 1 and verse 9. For this reason we also, since the day we heard of it, do not cease to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. Verse 11, strengthened with all might according to his glorious power for all patience and long suffering with joy, giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light, who qualifies us, it is God the Father who qualifies us to be partakers of this inheritance, and we must never forget the inheritance he promises. Verse 13, he has delivered us from the power of darkness, and he has conveyed us into the kingdom of the son of his love, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins.

And so what God has done for us through the blood and sacrifice of Jesus Christ is he's redeemed us from the kingdom of darkness. That's a counterfeit kingdom. That's a kingdom that's ruled over by Satan the devil in the ways of this world, and through that sacrifice and our submission to it, God has taken us from that place, and he has placed our citizenship, and he has placed the authority that reigns over our lives securely in the kingdom of the son of his love.

That is a source of our inspiration. That's a source of the zeal for which we live this life, and how our steps are directed day by day. That kingdom's not literally here reigning yet today, but it is reigning in our lives. We live under the authority of the kingdom of God now.

We reflect the standards and the principles of the kingdom of God today, and, brethren, as the Church of God, we have the answers that the kingdom provides.

We're called to reflect that in the world we live in now.

Colossians chapter 3 and verse 1.

You know, when I read these verses, again, they remind me, my kingdom is not of this world either.

Okay? My kingdom's not of this world either. Colossians chapter 3 verse 1, If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, or Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things on the earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ and God.

You're not just like everybody else. Right? You've come under the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

You've gone from death to life, and now the things above are the focus of your life.

If you and I were just like everybody else, and our focus was like everybody else, I suppose we would be doing good things like everybody else.

You can pick the good fruit off of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, but it's still the wrong tree. And God has called us to live according to the tree of life, and according to His kingdom today. So again, it just says, you died, and your life is hidden with Christ and God. Verse 4, and when Christ, who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. And guess what? When that time comes, what a wonderful time it will be, because we will have the power to instigate real change. We've just celebrated that, great days.

The blessing of coming with Christ in glory, and reigning with Him in the kingdom of God.

Philippians chapter 3 and verse 17. Paul wrote about this concept all over the place.

Philippians chapter 3 and verse 17, Brethren, join in following my example, Paul says, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. He says, For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you, even weeping, they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their mind on earthly things. He says there's a contrast here. There's going to be a difference for my people. Verse 20, For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body, that it may be conformed to his glorious body, according to the working by which he is able even to subdue all things to himself. All things to himself. Paul said our citizenship is in heaven.

And what that means, brethren, in a nutshell, is that the kingdom of God reigns supreme over our lives today. When your citizenship is in heaven, you look first and foremost to the kingdom of God, again, for your standards, for your words, for your practices, and how it is you live your life in this age, because it is the highest governing authority in our life. And as a result of that, we're called to demonstrate the blessings of that kingdom in action, even today.

2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 17.

2 Corinthians 5 and verse 17. Again, the apostle Paul says, therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new.

We read scriptures, you know, during the feast, that we look forward to the new heavens and the new earth, where corruptibility is passed away, and all things are made new. Christ says, you are living that spiritually in type today. Old things have passed away, all things are becoming new.

We take on new standards, new priorities, new allegiances, when we're that creation in Christ.

Verse 18, he says, now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. That is, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. As those who have been reconciled to God today, brethren, we have a responsibility to continue to teach that same message. Because, you see, we were called, in part, by the foolishness of preaching, by a word that went out from someone somewhere, God's words by his inspiration, and God opened our mind. But again, it was a ministry of reconciliation that brought us to God.

And it is a ministry of reconciliation that we are to continue to preach, and to exemplify as God's people today. It's a ministry of healing the breach, a ministry of bringing all things in unity with God. Verse 20, Paul says, now then, in light of this, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us. We employ your own Christ's behalf. Be reconciled to God.

For he made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him. Is God pleading through you for a better way? Is God pleading through me, to this world, for a better way? You know, again, I've underlined this passage in my Bible in verse 20, as though God were pleading through us. Because I've read this verse so many times, and I don't know why recently I just read it again, and it hit me like a lightning bolt between the eyes. Is God pleading through us? Is he pleading through his church? Is the message going out as a plea to the world?

The message Jesus Christ brought. The time is fulfilled. The kingdom of God is at hand.

Repent. Believe the gospel. The message hasn't changed in 2,000 years from Christ's time or Paul's time to our time today, but the question becomes, is God pleading through us? Or we just sort of, you know, we don't want to make waves. Right? We want to keep our head down. We don't really want to, you know, create anything that could cause us to have to answer too many questions.

Again, as though God were pleading through us. It's the message we've been given to cry aloud.

Spare not. Right? Lift up your voice like a trumpet. It is the commission of God to his people, to the world. Do our words cry out that message? Does our example cry out that message, brethren?

Do our Facebook posts cry out that message? Or do our Facebook posts cry out the message of the Democratic or the Republican platform? As though God were pleading through us. Be reconciled to God.

That is the solution that escapes this age, but it's the solution we're called to express as ambassadors of Christ. And that's such a high calling, brethren. That's such a high calling to be an ambassador is to be a representative. And as somebody who is given the responsibility to represent a government or an individual well in the midst of another nation. When I go to West Africa, and specifically in Ghana, there's a route we drive through across often that we drive past the U.S. Embassy. And I have to be honest, because I'm a U.S. citizen, I get a little comfort when I see the U.S. Embassy in a faraway land. Because I know that if I have trouble, I can enter into those walls. And I'm standing on soil of the United States of America, effectively. And the laws and the standards of the U.S. apply within those borders. So I will tell you, that does give me a bit of comfort, you know, and relief to see those things. But when I go to West Africa, I told the congregation in Nigeria, I said, I hope when you see me, you don't see me as an ambassador of the United States of America. You know, that's what the people in customs at the airport see. And they try to shake me down to see if any loose change will fall out of my pockets. But I hope, as the Church of God, I said, I hope that's not how you see me. I hope you see me as an ambassador for Jesus Christ, as a representative of the Kingdom of Heaven. Indeed, that is what we all must be to this world around us today, and what we say and do. When the world looks at us, do they see a people who are reflecting the attributes of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom. People living in peace. People in harmony. People where, shall we say, the plowman is already overtaking the reaper in their spiritual lives. And the knowledge of the Lord covers their life, where they are awash in it, as the waters cover the sea. Indeed, that's what we must reflect as the people of God to this world. And it's not enough to simply preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God to the world. There also has to be the evidence to back it up. And that evidence has to be seen in us.

And how we live our lives, how we conduct our marriages, how we interact with our families, the example that we put forward. It must be a living Gospel, brethren, that confirms there truly is a better way, and that way is coming. Sometimes that puts the spotlight on us.

Because you're going to be different. To take off and say, I'm going for 10 days to the Feast of Tabernacles or a religious observance. I hope you didn't say I'm going on vacation. Okay, this is an opportunity for an answer. But it makes us different. Who does that? The people of God do that. And gives us the opportunity to be an example. And it does put the spotlight on us.

It should cause us to be consciously aware of how we conduct ourselves. And it should cause us to remind ourselves who and what we are in this world. And I'll give you an example. When I sit down in an airplane seat, I am consciously aware that the conversation is going to come up on what I do for a living. Because I can't get on a plane somewhere else in this world either going to or coming from West Africa. I mean, your hours on the plane, the person next to you is going to say, where are you going? What are you doing? And usually it's where you're going. I say, well, I'm going to Nigeria and then Ghana. And it's like, oh, what do you do there? What do you do for work? So the conversation, I don't hide it. You know, I don't say, hi, my name is Paul Moody.

I'm a church pastor. But again, it comes up eventually. I'm a church pastor. And it's interesting. It engages in a conversation. Question number two is usually, what church?

Well, the United Church of God. Say, we're a seven-day Sabbath keeping church, a holy day keeping church. And I'm going to visit congregations that we have in that region. We're going to keep a religious festival for eight days. And they go, well, that's interesting. But you see, every time I start that conversation, I know it's going to come up. And what's their next thought then going to be when they hear the words, church pastor? Is their next thought going to be, oh, that movie you just watched on the seatback screen. Right? That was kind of violent. That's kind of obscene.

Maybe it was R-rated. You know, I mean, what what example have you set? You know, once you, I wish you could experience how this works. Once you open the door on that, suddenly, the scrutiny rises to the level of being representative of something. Everything you've just done. You know, what were my words an hour ago to the flight attendant or the other passenger? Were they kind? Were they harsh? How many alcoholic drinks did I order on the flight?

Literally. Right? I'm a pastor for the United Church of God. Is that that's not our example. So again, God has called all of us. And it's like, if we could all wear that badge somehow, I wish we could. It certainly raises the consciousness to another level and scrutiny to another level. And the question is, will we be a positive or a negative example for the way of God? Will he call people because of our example? Like, we've reinforced the calling that God has put out, or could we perhaps, by our example and words, even be a stumbling block to what God is seeking to do?

Again, this ambassadorship is a very, very high calling and a very high standard set before us.

1 Peter chapter 2 and verse 9. 1 Peter 2 and verse 9. Christ talked about it. Paul talked about it.

Peter talked about it. Seems like we all ought to talk about it. 1 Peter chapter 2 and verse 9.

Just who do we represent? You are a chosen generation, Peter says. A royal priesthood, a holy nation, his own special people. Notice why. That you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness to his marvelous light, who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. What transformation has that made in our lives? Hopefully it's down to our core, to our foundational character. And he says, we've been called and chosen, made a royal priesthood, a holy nation, instead a part to proclaim the praises of God to this world. And to be a shining example, the city set on a hill as to how this life is to be lived and frankly the blessing of the kingdom reigning in our life today.

It doesn't mean you have to be in the biggest house or drive the nicest car. What it means is our life should be in order. And when people look at us, they should see the example of that shining forth from us. Again, it's to proclaim the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light, to go forward and preach the message of a gospel of hope, of truth, and of peace to all of mankind, and to be representatives of the kingdom yet to come. You recall that's what ancient Israel was to be, right? When God brought them out of Egypt and he put them into the promised land, his purpose for them was to be a model nation to the world so that they would live as laws and standards. The nations around them would look and say, why is Israel so blessed? Why are they so prosperous? Why do they have rain in due season when our ground is hard as iron? That's what God intended for Israel so that the other nations would come up and inquire and want that for themselves as well. But you see, unfortunately, ancient Israel and Judah failed to represent God's kingdom well. They never really lived up to that model nation that God intended them to be, and they suffered the punishment for that. God drug them out of the land brutally. They went into captivity.

Ten northern nations, their tribes were scattered, dispersed, and they were never to the potential of which God called them to be. But for you and I today, we must not fail to fulfill this commission because it's the commission that's been given to the spiritual model nation in the world today, the Church of God, the spiritual Israel, to shine forth as a light in the darkness, the way of truth, so that others would see our example and say, why is your life blessed? Why is your marriage blessed?

Why are you at peace? Look at everything that's going on in the world. My neighbor's employee was just pouring his heart out, and frankly, he was frantic, practically, with things going on in the election, and who should I vote for? And he's just like, look, be at peace. There's an answer, and there's a solution, and it'll be here. Just hang on a little longer. But again, God has called us to be that light and to be that spiritual, shining example. Many of the people in this world are lost, and they're afraid, and they're looking for a solution, and the Church of God has the answer. And frankly, I think sometimes, because we've done this for so many decades, we take it for granted. You have the answer. Our children have the answer. Our children know what the solution is that ails this world when even some of the greatest political minds of the day don't know. Our children have the answer, and that's an incredible blessing, brethren, and it brings peace and harmony to our lives. Indeed, the Bible shows that following the return of Jesus Christ, God will once again re-establish a remnant of physical Israelites who've come through the Great Tribulation, through the Day of the Lord, on the Day of Atonement, the trumpet of Jubilee will sound. God will regather Israel from the nations in which they've been scattered. He will resettle them in the Promised Land, and they will again be that model nation He intended them to be. I want us to notice how their identity will be seen by others seeking solutions in their day. Zechariah chapter 8. We're going to wrap up here today.

Zechariah chapter 8 verse 20.

Again, how will somebody who is considered the covenant people of God and the example of God's love and blessing to the world, how are they going to be perceived in that day? And is it maybe how we should be perceived if we're rightly living up to the calling of God and shining forth in this world today? Zechariah chapter 8 and verse 20. Thus says the Lord of hosts, people shall yet come, inhabitants of many cities. The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, let us continue and go and pray before the Lord and seek the Lord of hosts. I myself will go also.

And so you have these people in the world who know, okay, the law of the Lord goes out from Zion, right? And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem, and there's blessing, and God's covenant people are there. And that is where life is working and healing is taking place. So I'm going to go there.

I'm going to find out about this God and what makes this blessing so real. So they travel to another city and it's like, where are you going? What are you doing? Well, I'm going up to Zion, up to the mountain of the Lord. We will go as well. And you have this movement and this momentum of people who are following to find the blessing of God. Verse 23. Thus says the Lord of hosts, In those days ten men from every language of nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.

A Jewish man will be identified as one of the covenant people of God in that age. And people will grab hold of him and they'll say, Take us with you. God is with you. You are his people.

His blessing is upon you. And we want to know what you know. Please show us the way. Introduce us to your God so his blessing can be in our life as well.

Brethren, you and I have the opportunity to be the same kinds of representatives to the world today.

A covenant people of God who carry a message of hope, of inspiration, of salvation. And it is the message that this world needs to hear. Even though our kingdom is not of this world, we have the opportunity to live under its reign today. To be representing the blessings of that kingdom to the world today. Don't ever put that lamp under a basket. You are the light of the world, Jesus Christ said. Don't hide that lamp. Don't be embarrassed about the light. Don't shy away from it. Put it on a table where it gives light to the whole house. And blessing, and frankly your example of inspiration, can go out to all to be seen. Glorify your Father in heaven. Brethren, my kingdom is not of this world. But you know, one day it will be. One day the Father and the Son will dwell with all of creation. And our kingdom will be of this world. And that is why today I live in subjection to the King of that kingdom, to the Father and God of that kingdom, and to the laws and the standards of the kingdom of God. It is the greatest blessing that I can share from my life today.