Two Kingdoms — Dean Taylor

It's a blessing here. We're beginning of a day that we're going to be sharing for Three messages today. So y 'all do please pray for me that we make it through all three of these sessions and my voice hold out and all those things today's message is is very important and It's important because this concept of the two kingdoms if you don't get this you're not going to get the teachings of Jesus and when I when I was in the army and when it was reading the things that had to do with the two kingdoms that That really started to make things click and here's also one of my concerns a lot of you have inherited a Teaching of standing for non-resistance, but to be honest. I think you're getting there from the wrong direction.

You got there in a wrong way you were inherited of you got a beautiful heritage. But because you just inherited and praise God for that the the whole Emphasis of what Jesus wants you to be on this earth is not being lived out in its fullness.

If you get a hold of this two kingdom concept, you'll take these teachings of Jesus and you'll go forward. Well, I'm going to start with this little story I told you during the during the time when we had to go and become a conscious objector.

There's several different Obstacles we said different people you got to go through you have to go see a psychologist. You got to go to a chaplain. You got it. You got to do your packet. You have to have the trial well, the psychologist was one of the the most intimidating of the Obstacles that we went through and I thought it was just gonna be not much.

It was go there. She was supposed to tell you, you know, if you were mentally sane enough to be saying what you're saying. But as I went in I found that she was really challenging me. And so I walked in this room not this is just a picture.

But I walked into the room and where the psycho the psychologist was there, you know. And it was a small little army room. And as I went in there, she said something like you're not gonna be here very long I don't think you even need to sit down.

So I was okay. This is this is kind of interesting. And so I said, well, what do you mean? And she said to me I got you and I thought okay. This is gonna get kind of serious right from the beginning. So I Took it to sit down and and I sat there and I said, okay.

What do you mean you got me? She said I got all of you consciences objectors. That's okay. So what do you mean? She said, okay I'll ask you some questions and I was kind of shaking in my boots a little bit and She said okay.

I'm gonna ask you a couple of questions. You say you want to get out of the army because you don't want to support The army and what it represents. Is that correct? And I said, well, yes, ma 'am. That's correct.

And he said, okay. I'll ask she said I'll ask you the next question. Do you pay taxes? And I said, well, yes, ma 'am. I do. I believe in paying taxes. See you're done. You're inconsistent. So and all of you have conscious objectors are inconsistent and I kind of thought and prayed a little bit there and I said well, ma 'am Can I explain something to you and you know?

I was kind of new in the faith and these types of things and I said ma 'am you see I live by the ways of a book and That book is the Bible and I may not Understand all these things but this Bible instructs me to love my enemies and pay my taxes.

And that's what I want to do from that. She just kind of got upset and went on Kind of in a strange way. She started going off to all these different things. She does apparently she was some kind of a Christian and she started saying do you know who I am?

I said no, ma 'am, and she said she started going through she said I volunteer for this I teach Sunday school in that night and she went through all these things. She volunteers for and this does and she ends up and I'm not making this up and she says and I am a card-carrying Methodist.

I thought well and I should have done this but I said could you just repeat all that and she got kind of upset with me and and and. And after that she just sort of dismissed me but what I realized is that thinking about that interview that this psychologist had unwittingly hit on a very Fundamental dividing line in the understanding of the two kingdoms and this dividing line is Something that makes the Bible Form into something that's used by empires and leaders where it's something that used by people who want to follow Christ in a radical way.

Caesar and God: The Dividing Line Between the Kingdoms

Now here's the the famous passage perhaps the most well-known and often misquoted passage concerning the idea of two kingdoms and our Relationship with the two kingdoms comes from that passage in Matthew 22 where the Pharisees are trying to trip up Jesus.

About who do you pay taxes and he has a famous quote where he says render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar and things unto God the things that are God and through the ages. It's been it seems like the church has had difficulty deciding which things go to Caesar.

And if there's anything left to give to God, but as I begin to look at the early church, I begin to see that they Put that dividing line with a pretty decisive stroke and. And the idea that when the the people have mixed up these two kingdoms really bad things has happened like this.

You know when Hitler and all the different Emperors before him usually always mix up some sort of a kingdom of God with the kingdom of the state mixed together. Here this belt buckle that every Nazi soldier went around with says got mit uns.

So you German people? What does that translate to? God with us and truly the worst atrocities Ever inflicted upon mankind and it's including today have often been committed by men who think they do God a service.

So what is the Christian life supposed to be like in the world that we live in that this the Bible writers and their scriptures really talk about it in a very a very distinct Sojourning way. I love this passage by in first Peter 1 17 and it says if you call on the father who without respect of person Judges according to every man's work past the time of your sojourning here in fear.

Do you see yourself as a sojourning in this place? Or do you feel you're part of the world and the Empire and all those sorts of things? You know, I I remember Being in Germany that one of the things that really spoke to us Was you were you're very separate.

The Paul also encourages Timothy. He said Endure hardness is a good soldier and be not entangled with with the affairs of this life and the idea of that is that we are so committed and so Empowered by the kingdom of God that we're not going to get involved.

I remember when we were in Germany My wife and I lived off base and we lived amongst the Germans and we we paid of German Utilities we we lived out there, but we but inside we were very clearly Americans living over there in those days we paid our.

We Voted in American elections in those days of course, we paid our American taxes and all those things and the idea of running for Burgermeister of Hochspeier would have been something that we would have never been involved with because we were clearly Americans and I believe what Peter is wanting us to be here is to be so clearly a part of the kingdom of God.

That we're not attached to these things in that way and all the biblical writers write this way. We are given our own laws that rule and guide our lives and scriptures here. We are we have our own king that demands absolute loyalty.

We are to refuse to obey laws that contradict the laws of God. Blatantly, we are commanded Commanded to love feed warm and care and even our very enemies of the countries in which we live. We are charged with the impractical marching orders that that command us to go into battle defenseless as lambs before wolves or sheep before the slaughter.

Explicitly we are told that our weapons are not to be made of earthly things. They are not they are not carnal but mighty. Furthermore, we are instructed that we do not war in the flesh and Contrast to the Old Testament marching orders to destroy men's lives.

We now instead have new orders to save them. Defeating even death. We are told that dying actually is game for us at the New Covenant and That the cross is our example. Simply put we are told that our kingdom is not of this world in the end.

We are told that we defeat even the Antichrist, but not with bombs and chemical warfare. Rather it says by the blood of the Lamb The word of our testimony and by not loving our lives even unto the death to accomplish this.

Born Again to See and Enter the Kingdom

These goals that the New Testament writers give us Jesus particularly to accomplish this Jesus inaugurated a kingdom That would live out these teachings and manifest his plan for humanity. That's what he wants us to be but To be part of this kingdom to be part of this kingdom.

Jesus said that we must be born again. And I know that word has become trite in America the whole concept of being born again. Maybe even you it wasn't like and you heard my testimony. It's sort of a superficial thing, but it's something very important.

It means that you were born of the Spirit of God. And if you don't get that you're not Going to get the teachings of Jesus. He says matter of fact in John 1 12 how important he says at the very beginning of the Gospel of John.

But as many as received him to them gave he power To become the sons of God even to them that believe on his name watch this now. Which were born not of blood. Nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

That's a new humanity that fulfills these teachings of Jesus Christ on this earth and Jesus said this and. And the famous passage that we hear in John that you see quoted on football players Stadiums and all this type of thing.

John 3 16 before we get to that when he was talking to Nicodemus Jesus answered Nicodemus and said in John 3 3 Jesus answered and said to him verily verily I say unto thee Accept a man be born again. He cannot see the kingdom of God.

Do you get the teachings of Jesus? Do you understand them? Perhaps the reason why they they seem like nonsense to you is that you're not Seeing the kingdom of God and if you don't get it, it could because you are not born again.

You must be born of the Spirit and not of the things of this age to understand the teachings of Jesus Christ. He then went on to say verily verily I say unto you accept a man be born of water and of the Spirit.

He cannot enter into the kingdom of God. So all these teachings that I'm talking about you cannot have them unless you are a new creature in Christ Jesus a New creature and here's the problem with the way we look at this.

The Kingdom as a Present Reality

So Jesus gave us he started a new humanity started a new life and he wants to express this in this kingdom here on this earth and To do this. We've kind of turned in Christianity though into this sort of just Social club or or a good feeling thing and and artists can't wait to get to heaven and the idea is that sometimes we're We're looking at the Bible the wrong way.

Do you ever take a binoculars and you turn it the wrong way and and everything's kind of small instead of big you ever done? That before of course you have well It's the same way. We look at the Word of God.

If you look at the Word of God the wrong way and read it the wrong way. Sometimes something happens when you read something the wrong way we end up with the wrong Questions and the problem is is that with a little work we actually get the right answers to the wrong question.

What is the essence? What is the essence of what we have in Christ? It's to glorify God and to be his people here on earth. If you're thinking of this whole thing is just your life and and The way into you get to heaven then you're looking at it a wrong way and I'm gonna I'm gonna say something a little bit.

Here to even us from an Anabaptist background if you're not here from an Anabaptist background bear with me. But I want to talk about the good things that we do. But I I think there's something even in this concept of the two kingdoms that I need to mention.

Way back in 1921. I came up with a garden city garden city confession of faith. And I agree with the garden city confession of faith. It's a beautiful expression. But the problem is the frame in which the Anabaptist people we put this in.

And at the very end after you go through a very fundamentalist type of explanation of the faith at the very end. There's a article. What is that 13 called? Restrictions. And this is why I said some of you might believe in non-resistance, but you're getting there the wrong way.

Watch this now in the articles under restrictions after it basically explained the faith like any self-respecting Protestant would. Article 14 or what was that? 13 says restrictions and this is where it tacks on Praying for the paying taxes church and state separate we're non-resistant separation from the world even godly dress is all on here and that's all looked at is as Restrictions.

Kaufman's Doctrine of the Bible did the same thing at the very end. It talks about these concepts of restrictions. And I think that that's a problem and you wonder why your children or you start losing people in your church later on.

Because basically we explained ourself in a theological fundamentalist way with tacked on Restrictions, I don't believe these kingdom teachings are intended to be Restrictions they flow out of a Jesus following faith and that's what started the movement, you know.

And the essence of Anabaptism, I love this quote. Conrad Grebel was writing a letter way back in 1525. Right at the beginning of the Anabaptist Revival. Writing a letter and explaining to his friend what the what he was going through and he said these two things and I think these two things Represent what was the impetus that started the Anabaptist Revival and furthermore?

What's gonna get us? Revived today. He said these two things writing in the letter number one. I believe This is profound now. I believe the Word of God without a Complicated interpretation and out of this belief I speak Amen.

It's simple. The Bible is easy to understand. Let's not try to turn it into something that it's not and then he said this very profound statement the teaching of the Lord Has been given for the purpose of being put into practice.

Amen, it was a Jesus following people right from the very beginning. Jesus gave us this concept of the kingdom and I love this quote by John D. Martin. He always says this. He says this is what it's supposed to look like.

This is why he gave us the church. This is why he gave us the kingdom. He says to demonstrate to the world around us what the whole world would look like if we would only obey the King. That's it, that's the essence and this concept of the kingdom.

It's funny it doesn't get talked about it. I'm excited that people are beginning to talk about it a little more through ages sometimes a Heretic group will get a hold of it and then people will be shied away from and I think that's happened to us as a People as well, but it's the most common topic that Jesus talked about the Zondervan encyclopedia Says this it says the word kingdom Is found 55 times in Matthew 20 times in Mark 46 times in Luke and five times in John in total if you take about the ones that don't have the right context about 80 times.

These statistics show the great importance of the concept and the teachings of Jesus. There can therefore be little doubt that the phrase the kingdom of God Expresses the main theme of his teachings. Do we get that today and if you look at again the Bible as Just something you read and you're going to live your American life and your method and have some nice spiritual meditations and go to heaven.

When you die, that's beautiful. I can't wait to be in heaven with my Lord and Worship with him, but he wants us a lot more than that. He wants there to be a people of God on this earth that glorifies his name by expressing his cure for humanity today.

Jesus, Pilate, and a Kingdom Not of This World

So here's some of the way I've seen this in the scriptures. I Think one of the biggest places where the line between the kingdom is Graphically demonstrated as shortly before the crucifixion it's quite a scene and Jesus stood before Pontius Pilate and And Pontius Pilate had heard people calling him the king and so, you know the story and Pontius Pilate heard him and he said Are you the king of the Jews?

Maybe kind of I take it almost tauntingly, you know that kind of thing and Jesus took it seriously and said are you speaking for yourself about this or did others tell you this concerning me? He was like, did you get this from God?

You know, did you get this from my father? And then Jesus made it very clear to him. He said my kingdom is not of this world and that word world is not just a geographic Planetary structure. It's the it's the ages the eon this I'm not of this current Establishment if my kingdom were of this world My servants would fight so that I should not be delivered to the Jews, but now my kingdom is not from here.

Pilate therefore said and this is what we do and you may be doing this too. Well, are you a king then? It's almost like well, does that even count? Okay, so you're not really a king. You don't have an actual palace somewhere.

Are you even a king then and that's kind of the way if you admit it or not. The way perhaps you're looking at the kingship of Jesus Christ. It's sort of a mental trip for you. It's not a reality. Are you even a king then?

Jesus Answered very seriously. You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born and for this cause I came into the world to proclaim the truth. For this cause I was born. So if it's in this realm with so how do we look at this concept of this kingdom that Jesus came to establish?

How do we look that it's interesting some more the words of Jesus you on the Lord's Prayer. We all know the Lord's Prayer hopefully and in the Lord's Prayer it which is part of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus put it that this is the kind of thing.

That we're supposed to be asking from God so you could say with me our Father which art in heaven Hallowed be thy name and he says this thy kingdom come Thy Will be done in earth as it is in heaven so he's asking that this concept of a father what you have on in heaven the reality the The beauty the the worship those things that you have in heaven.

We are to pray and to establish those things here on this earth. And that's the concept of the two kingdom and it's in this perspective That you have to read the words of Jesus. Otherwise, it kind of doesn't make sense unless you understand that he wants you to live this out in a reality here on this earth.

He says in the kingdom of he says in the Sermon on the Mount. He wanted to make it very clear. So I'll put it on a billboard here. What's the priority? How Dean are you are you? Taking it a little too far.

Well, it's what perspective that Jesus give it. He said seek first the kingdom of God and So in your lives the things that you're choosing to do your careers or whatever it is seek first the kingdom of God.

Interesting even after Jesus was crucified and Resurrected and his resurrected body we go into the book of Acts and we start reading his ministry amongst the the the disciples there. It even says there in the beginning of the book of Acts to whom also he showed himself alive.

After his passion by many infallible proofs being seen of them 40 days and Speaking the things pertaining the kingdom of God. So even the resurrected Jesus the importance you've only got 40 days. You're with the disciples.

You're resurrected and the things that he discussed the things concerning the kingdom of God. He also mentions that this idea this dream for humanity. That the Lord wants to give to us was something from the very beginning when he talks about the last judgment in Matthew 25.

The little clue comes out there. He says in Matthew 25 34 then shall the King say unto them on his right hand. Come you blessed of my father inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

This was in God's plan from the very beginning. So if I could sum it up, it's something like this. He came and presented it repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand and in that concept of the kingdom in The beginning as we see God's plan for everything in the beginning.

The kingdom was a garden the Garden of Eden in the end. It shall be from the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same. But for now It is us the church Representing God's way here on earth. So how are we supposed to be?

I want you to imagine how it's supposed to be how the Millennium will be how the how the Living in heaven or however, you see those things living in heaven. He wants that kingdom come on and God's will on earth as it is in heaven.

We are supposed to be Be What is to become. That's what we are supposed to establish as John D Martin again says to show the whole world what the world should look like if everybody would follow the King.

That's what it's supposed to be. Alright, so at the end of the book of Acts the Apostle Paul's he goes through all of his journeys. We get this interesting thing on just I think it's the last verse perhaps or close to it at the very end of the book of Acts and Eveneth in he tells us what he's doing and what he's talking about during all this time.

It's interesting in Acts 28 23. It's Paul it says and when they had appointed him a day there came many to him into his lodging to whom he expounded and Testified the kingdom of God. And this is what he did persuading them concerning Jesus both out of the law of Moses and now the prophets from morning until evening.

That's incredible. Now I'm gonna what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna take that clue. I'm not gonna go preaching from morning till evening or you'll get upset with me, but I do want to say well What was he talking about?

What was Paul? There in the end of the book of Acts. What was he going through the scriptures and expounding the kingdom of God? Through the law of Moses and through the prophets and through the Bible Showing them what this was what has now finally happened when the birth of the church.

What did he do? And so I'm gonna just do a quick summary not for morning to evening like Paul did but go through here now and just look at some of those Basics of those things of the kingdom and God's plan for humanity.

From Eden to the Covenant People

Let's look at him. You know at the beginning The Garden of Eden there was two trees two trees in the middle of the Garden of Eden here's the scripture in Genesis 2 9 and Out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to his sight and good for food.

The tree of life also in the midst of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. These trees that tree of life is some sort of grace given Presence of God. We even see it coming up several times through the scriptures.

That in filling power of God and we even see it in Revelation in heaven and Revelation 2 7 it says he that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches and Please hear what he's saying to the churches.

He says to him that over cometh. Well, I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. God has this plan and still has it in heaven. It's interesting a sermon by Spurgeon Mentions that he gave an analogy.

This tree of life is Christ in the Old Testament. It's that grace filled life and living by the power of that grace filled life. But there was another tree and the other tree was the knowledge of good and evil.

If you think about it, what's the knowledge of good and evil? So the knowledge of things you're supposed to do and the things you're supposed not to do and if you remember what God Rebuked Adam when when he first when Adam found out that he was naked and he and he hid from God.

What was it that God? Actually Challenged Adam. What did he say when when when Adam said well, I'm naked. He didn't say no you're not he said who Told you You were naked. There was something about the way he received his knowledge that was an abomination to God and this taking of this way of living by the law and I don't mean that in the way We kind of make that in and conservative circles and it gets all garbage but just talking about the way the earth the whole world lives by law and the fear of law with the sword and the fear of Punishment is the way the whole world lives and it's it's kind of It's not it's not God's plan and it was so serious to remember when the angels kicked Adam and Eve out of the garden they had to put an angel there to prevent them from coming back and they said because What would happen if?

He if they now partook of the tree of knowledge. I mean of the tree of life and live forever. There was something so Unthinkable about mixing those two things together that they had to set a guard in front of the Garden of Eden so this concept of law and fear of punishment had to rule man who lived without grace and It says here in Genesis 4 15.

Here's and the Lord said unto him therefore whoever slayeth Cain Vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold and the Lord set a mark upon Cain lest any finding him should kill him. So there had to be a punishment based upon and a fear of the sword bait to keep people in line and This went on and then it's interesting Peter Ridderman an early Anabaptist has a quote about this whole concept.

And I and I agree with what he says. I think it's a profound quote. He says since people did not want to let themselves be led by the Spirit of the Lord God had to use a different rod to protect them from harm.

This was done so that the land would not be completely polluted with blood guilty people and So that he would not have to destroy the whole world on their account. The world could thus be preserved into the time of the promised offspring and whom all things would be made right.

Excellent quote this idea that God still governs his people. We're going to talk this in the next session as well. But through this we see him working through the people of God and through the people of the world.

And you see this Longing for him to express his ways through the people of God. Continually, here's some in Genesis 6 5 when you get to the time of Noah and Genesis 6 5 and God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every Imagination the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

And but and Noah his people his person his family there that he wanted to bless but Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Noah was a just man and perfect in his generation and Noah walked with God and here's what he did.

So in the midst of this chaos and sin and disaster God established his name and his people on This people in a boat and he says to him in Genesis 6 18, but with thee will I establish my covenant and Thou shall come into the ark thou and thy sons and thy wife and thy sons wives with thee.

He wanted to establish and God's desire is to fight to write his name Jehovah Over a people that will glorify him. You've got to get that if you're gonna understand the teachings of Jesus and it goes on but after that even he established still a living in the law for man's sake the imaginations of man's heart are evil from his youth and he said a Set of a law whosoever sheddeth man's blood by man shall his blood be shed for in the image of God made he man.

But he went on and through the different ages. We see God representing his his desire of a covenant people and Abraham was a beautiful example and he said to Abraham and Genesis 12, and I will make of thee a great nation.

You get that a nation of people of God and I will bless thee and Make thy name great and now shall be a blessing and I will bless them that bless thee and curse him that curses thee. And in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

The whole idea of the covenant people of God would bring a blessing to the whole earth and God wanted Abraham to be that. You see it coming out in Exodus 19. Exodus 19 is right when the people left Egypt because of the the Passover and 50 days later They're now in front of the mountain and it's starting to quake.

Well, what happens 50 days after Easter Pentecost it's not a coincidence that this statement was now written on Pentecost. He's got the gathered people of God together and God says this to the chosen people there.

He says you have seen what I did unto the Egyptian and How I bear you on eagles wings and brought you and to myself. Now therefore if you will obey my voice indeed and keep my covenant Then you shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people for all the earth is mine and You shall be unto me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation these are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel and that whole concept of Being his chosen people that the people of God a peculiar people that do things differently than the rest of the world Glorifies God and that's what he wants us to be and it kept coming through he kept putting these things through.

Kings, Government, and the Rejection of God's Rule

But when was the first time in the Bible that people when was the first time in the Bible that people asked For a king when the people of God asked for a king. When do you think the first time was? Everybody know a Lot of people say it was Saul.

There's interesting there's an interesting story when it happened with actually Gideon after the famous Gideon scene where he came and won the success with with the lanterns and everything and and on the few people, you know the story and it was such a an Incredible victory for the people of God that they wanted to make Gideon King.

But there's a little story tucked away in your book of Judges. That I don't want you to miss. But you've got to hear because they went to Gideon and they said the men of Israel said unto Gideon rule thou over us be thou and Over us both thou and thy son and thy son's son also for thou have delivered us from the hand of Midian.

But Gideon said this is not going to be the way it is and Gideon said unto them I will not rule over you neither shall my sons rule over you. The Lord shall rule over you the Lord shall rule over you.

And so this concept of of the idea of being a people of God and even mixing that with Kings and nations even in the time of judges when God was trying to have this. Or wanting to have this covenant people with with the people of God here even then to mixing this with the Kings was something that that just wasn't right they they had a special purpose a Peculiar people and that's what you're supposed to have is the kingdom today a treasure.

That's different than the rest of this world and There's a parable that goes out now. Well after Gideon died his. They thought that some of the sons thought hey, this is not a bad idea and and Abimelech was then made king.

Well Jonathan learned of this and he went on top of this mountain and rebuked the people in Judges chapter 9 and there's a precious Parable that doesn't get preached enough about what happened and how we as a people of God are supposed to have Something special that doesn't taint it with the ruling of nations and things like that.