Preach the Kingdom of God

Larry Ray Hafley
Plano, Illinios

  1. INTODUCTION:

RESOLVED: One cannot fully preach Christ without preaching the things "concerning the kingdom of God."

II. BODY:

  1. Phillip preached Christ. (Acts 8:5)
  2. Philip preached the kingdom of God. (Acts 8:12)
  3. So, to preach Christ is to preach the kingdom of God.
  1. Paul preached the gospel to the Ephesians. (Eph. 1:13)
  2. Paul preached, "the things concerning the kingdom of God "to the Ephesians. (Acts 19:8)
  3. Hence, in preaching the gospel one must preach the kingdom of God.
  1. Paul said he preached "the gospel of the grace of God." (Acts 20:24)
  2. Paul said he preached the kingdom of God. (Acts 20:25)
  3. These two expressions are here used interchangeably in Acts 20:24, 25preach the gospel of grace, preach the kingdom of God.
  1. The Jews desired to hear of "this sect," i.e., the religion of Jesus Christ, the hope of Israel. (Acts 28:20-22)
  2. Paul "expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus" (Acts 28:23).
  3. Therefore, to preach the hope of Israel, to preach Christ one must preach concerning the kingdom of God.
  1. Paul spoke of "the salvation of God" which could be heard. (Acts 28:28)he refers here to the gospel, the word of God. (Acts 13:46)
  2. he then proceeded to preach "the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 28:31)"
  3. Thus, to preach "the salvation of God: involves the preaching of the kingdom of God.

III. CONCLUJSION:

1. The Bible teaches that the Lord adds the saved to the church (Acts 2:47)

2. The Bible also teaches that the Lord translates the saved, those delivered from the power of darkness, into the kingdom of God. (Col 1:13)

3. The saved are added to the church, translated into the kingdom of Christ. Therefore, one who preaches of salvation from sin must preach the kingdom of God.

TRUTH MAGAZINE XIV; 37, p. 2

July 30, 1970