“The Reality of the Kingdom of God”
Text:
Luke 17:20-21; Romans 14:17; Matthew 28:18; Colossians 1:13; 1 Corinthians 4:20; Mark 16:17-18 (KJV)
Introduction:
Brethren, many believers today live as though the Kingdom of God is something reserved for a future age — a distant reality after death, or something to be experienced in the far-off Millennial reign of Christ. But the Word of God declares otherwise. The Kingdom is not a future hope alone — it is a present, powerful, spiritual dominion available to every believer right now!
Jesus didn’t just come to preach about Heaven — He came to bring Heaven’s authority, Heaven’s rule, and Heaven’s culture down to earth, and to raise a people who would live in it and enforce it.
Today, we are going to rediscover this reality, so we can live as Kingdom citizens, walk in Kingdom authority, and manifest Kingdom power wherever we go.
What is the Kingdom of God?
📜 Old Testament Background:
In the Old Testament, God is often referred to as King (see Psalms 47:7, “For God is the King of all the earth”). The idea of God's kingship over Israel and the nations was central to Jewish theology.
However, Israel expected a Messianic earthly kingdom where God would rule visibly through a Davidic king, overthrowing all enemies. The prophets foresaw a time when God would reign universally (see Daniel 7:14, “And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him”).
📜 New Testament Revelation:
When Jesus arrived, He proclaimed, “The kingdom of God is at hand” (Mark 1:15). But unlike Jewish expectations of a political and military kingdom, Jesus revealed the Kingdom as a spiritual dominion established first in the hearts of men and progressively manifested through His people, ultimately to be consummated in His visible return.
Here, Jesus taught that the Kingdom is not something to be observed with physical signs alone — it begins internally when a person yields to God’s rule through faith in Christ, and it grows outward as believers operate in Kingdom authority.
📜 The Kingdom as Present and Future:
Let’s begin by reading Luke 17:20-21:
New Testament theology reveals a dual nature of the Kingdom:
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Already — It is presently active through the reign of Christ in the hearts of believers and the Church’s ministry empowered by the Holy Ghost.
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Not Yet — It will be fully consummated at Christ’s second coming when all earthly kingdoms are subdued and Christ visibly reigns (Revelation 11:15).
It’s a spiritual reign producing spiritual fruit in those under its government now.
Jesus declared to the religious leaders of His day that the Kingdom was not something to be observed by physical signs alone. It is a spiritual reality — God’s reign and rule in the hearts of those who are born of the Spirit.
It is not merely eating and drinking — not external religion or ceremonial observance — but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
📜 The Kingdom Operates by Power:
The Greek word dynamis here means miraculous power, force, and ability. Wherever the Kingdom is truly present, it is evidenced by:
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Deliverance from demonic oppression
Healings
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Signs and wonders
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Moral transformation
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Kingdom provision
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Peace and joy in the Holy Ghost
These are the natural outworkings of a supernatural government.
And Mark 16:17-18:
Mark 16:17-18 KJV“And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”
📜 The Kingdom’s Present Dominion:
The Kingdom of God is God’s sovereign rule exercised now through His people by the power of the Holy Spirit, manifesting righteousness, peace, joy, deliverance, healing, and authority — while awaiting its final consummation at Christ’s return.
Matthew 28:18“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.”
That means as believers, we are no longer under Satan’s jurisdiction. Sin has no dominion over us. Fear has no claim on us. The curse of the enemy has no authority over us. We now live under the rule and reign of our King, Jesus Christ.
Conclusion:
Church, the Kingdom of God is not a theory, it’s a reality. It’s not a distant hope, it’s a present inheritance. It’s not a passive idea, it’s a dominion of power.
Jesus declared it is within you. He has delivered you from darkness and made you part of His Kingdom. And wherever you go, you are an agent of that Kingdom — with authority, power, and boldness.
Final Charge:
I challenge you today:
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Stop living as if you belong to a defeated system.
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Start walking as a citizen of the Kingdom of God.
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Speak with authority. Pray with power. Move in boldness.
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Let the Kingdom within you be the Kingdom around you.
Closing Prayer:
“Father, we thank You for bringing us into the Kingdom of Your dear Son. Stir in us the reality of this dominion. Help us to walk in righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Let signs, wonders, and miracles confirm our testimony. And may Your Kingdom come, and Your will be done — in us, through us, and around us — on earth as it is in Heaven. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
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