Bible Truth Foundations
Part 3 of 3: Serving in Christ
Please begin by answering this question honestly in your own words.
When you hear the phrase "Kingdom of God," what image comes to mind? A place, a future event, a present reality, or something else?
Luke 17:21
Nor will they say, "See here!" or "See there!" For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.
Read this slowly before moving on. This is not the picture of the Kingdom many expect.
The central idea of this lesson
The Kingdom of God is not primarily a place or a political system; it is God’s rule breaking into human lives now, with a future, visible consummation still to come.
Israel began as a theocracy under God’s direct rule. When the nation demanded an earthly king, God permitted Saul, then David, as visible representatives of His invisible rule.
1 Samuel 8:7
And the Lord said to Samuel, "Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them."
A consistent pattern runs through Israel’s kings: following the Lord brought prosperity, and abandoning Him brought captivity and ruin.
Kings were anointed with oil as a symbol of the Holy Spirit’s empowerment for their role.
1 Samuel 16:13
Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward.
Note
This pattern of anointing is the origin of the title Messiah, meaning "Anointed One": Mashiach in Hebrew, Christos in Greek.
The Kingdom of God was the central and consistent theme of Jesus’s own preaching, and the one subject He specifically instructed His disciples to proclaim.
Luke 9:2
He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
Entry into this Kingdom requires repentance, a genuine turning from sin and toward God through Christ, which brings both forgiveness and eternal life.
Mark 1:15
And saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel."
The Kingdom did not arrive with the display many in Israel expected: armies, a throne, immediate political rule. And it will not fully arrive that way until Christ’s return.
Going Deeper
In between, the Kingdom grows quietly, within and among believers, grace manifested in Jesus’s ministry rather than spectacle, destined for a future, glorious, visible consummation.
Work through these on your own before your group meets. Type your answers directly into the table below. Your answers are saved automatically in your browser.
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| Question | My Answer | Group Discussion Notes |
|---|---|---|
| What surprises you most about Israel’s shift from being ruled directly by God to demanding an earthly king (1 Samuel 8)? | ||
| How does the pattern of Israel’s kings, prospering under godly rule and suffering under ungodly rule, apply to areas of your own life where you are "king"? | ||
| Luke 17:21 says the Kingdom of God "is within you." What difference does it make to think of the Kingdom as already present, not only future? | ||
| What would it look like, practically, to "seek first the kingdom of God" (Matthew 6:33) this week? |
These questions are designed for open conversation at any level of experience. There are no trick questions and no single correct answer.
The Kingdom is not only a future hope; it is meant to show up practically in how you live this week.
| Context | How I Apply This |
|---|---|
| Personal life | Identify one area of your life where you rule like an ungodly king, by your own ambition rather than under God, and bring it under His rule this week. |
| Church community | Choose one decision this week and deliberately ask what "seeking first the kingdom of God" would mean for it, before any other consideration. |
| Difficult seasons | When circumstances feel out of control, look for one specific way to let God’s rule show up practically today, not just as a future hope. |
| Scripture to carry | Memorise Mark 1:15: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel." Let it anchor both repentance and belief as the doorway into the Kingdom. |
Tap each card to reveal the answer.
Where is the Kingdom of God, according to Jesus in Luke?
Luke 17:21
"Nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."
Luke 17:21
What was Jesus’s opening message in Mark’s Gospel?
Mark 1:15
"The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel."
Mark 1:15
What are believers told to seek first?
Matthew 6:33
"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."
Matthew 6:33
Into what kingdom has God already brought believers?
Colossians 1:13
"He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love."
Colossians 1:13
What does the title "Messiah" or "Christ" mean?
"Anointed One": from the practice of anointing Israel’s kings and prophets with oil as a symbol of the Spirit’s empowerment.
What is the final, visible outcome for the kingdoms of this world?
Revelation 11:15
"The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!"
Revelation 11:15