The Divide of the Cross

Pastor Jason Armold

• The kingdom of this world is not the Kingdom of
God.
• God’s heart is set upon a kingdom of His creating,
headed up in Christ His Son.
Colossians 1:16-17
• 16 For by Him all things were created that are in
heaven and that are on earth, visible and
invisible, whether thrones or dominions or
principalities or powers. All things were created
through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all
things, and in Him all things consist.
• Satan has set up a rival system known as “this world”.
This is his domain. He is the “ruler of this world”.
John 12:31
• 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of
this world will be cast out.
• In Satan’s hand, the first creation has become the old
creation. God is concerned with the new creation.
• Nothing of the old creation, the old kingdom or the old
world can or will be transferred to the new.
• The question is, which one do we belong to?
Colossians 1:12-13 (King James Version)
• 12Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath
made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance
of the saints in light: 13Who hath delivered us
from the power of darkness, and hath translated
us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
• Meet-hikanoo-to render fit, meet, to make
sufficient.
• Translated-methistemi-to change, remove
• We have been delivered from the power of darkness by
death, and burial.
• God has done this for us, through His Son Jesus Christ. Our
citizenship is now in His Kingdom.
• To bring about this change, those (saints) were made
willing subjects of Christ, who were slaves of Satan. All who
are designed for heaven hereafter, are prepared for heaven
now. Those who have the inheritance of sons, have the
education of sons, and the disposition of sons. By faith in
Christ they enjoyed this redemption, as the purchase of His
atoning blood, whereby forgiveness of sins, and all other
spiritual blessings were bestowed. Matthew Henry
• God must do something new in us. Unless we are
created anew, we can never fit into this realm.
John 3:6
• 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that
which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
1 Corinthians 15:50
• 50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood
cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does
corruption inherit incorruption.
• Our fitness for the new kingdom is determined by
the creation to which we belong.
• God wants us for Himself, but He cannot bring us
as we were.
• He first did away with us by the Cross of Christ,
and then by resurrection provided a new life for
us!
2 Corinthians 5:17
• 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creation; old things have passed away; behold, all
things have become new.
• The Cross was the means God used to bring an end to
the “old things”, by setting aside altogether our “old
man”.
• The resurrection was the means He uses to impart to
us ALL that is necessary for our life in His Kingdom. The
Cross ends all that belongs to the first regime, the
resurrection introduces all that pertains to the second.
• The Cross is God’s declaration that all that is of the old
creation must die. God gathered up in the Person of His
Son all that was in Adam and crucified Him. God also,
in His Son, made all things new by the resurrection.
 The Kingdom
Matthew 6:33
• 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His
righteousness, and all these things shall be added
to you.
• According to Jesus, all that we strive for and
pursue are found in the Kingdom. This statement
points us in the direction we should be going.
• Out two priorities in this life are to “seek the
Kingdom of God”, and “His righteousness”.
• These can only be found in and through Jesus
Christ.
• According to Abraham Maslow, man’s hierarchy
of needs in order of importance are:
– Water
– Food
– Clothes
– Housing
– Protection
– Security
– Preservation
– Self-actualization
– significance
• Man’s priorities are not God’s priorities.
Matthew 6:25-32
• 25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you
will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will
put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor
gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not
of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one
cubit to his stature?
28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the
field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to
you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of
these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is,
and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more
clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What
shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things
the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all
these things.
• The King (Jesus), His Kingdom, and His
Righteousness is what we are to seek. This
must be our #1 priority.
 Kingdom Principles
1.Kings
• A kingdom is a sovereign rulership and governing influence
of a king over his territory, impacting it with his will, his
intent, and his purpose.
• In the fullness of time, Jesus came to the earth and
reestablished the Kingdom. Because only a king can
establish a kingdom, this act alone reveals that Jesus Christ
is the King.
• Jesus said that His Kingdom was not of this world; He never
said it was not in this world.
• A king is the central component of his kingdom.
• God’s sovereignty is absolute. He is completely self-
determining.
2.Lord
• Kingship has to do with authority; lordship has to do with
ownership.
• As lord, a king literally and legally owns everything in his
domain.
• If the king owns everything, he can give anything to anyone
at any time according to his own sovereign choice.
• God, the King of Heaven, is King and Lord of all.
• If Jesus is Lord, He must receive first priority in your life.
• In the Kingdom of Heaven, there is no economic crisis and
there are no shortages.
3.Territory
• Every kingdom has territory.
• Heaven is a real Kingdom with a real government.
• Without territory no kingdom can exist.
• God can and will intervene in the affairs of this earthly
domain without the permission of those who hold
authority here.
4.Constitution
• The constitution of a kingdom is the documented will,
purposes, and intent of the king.
• The bible is the expressed will of the King in written form.
• The words of the king become the law of the land.
5.Law
• Every kingdom is governed by laws.
• The Bible is the law book of the Kingdom of Heaven.
• Laws are built into creation.
• God’s laws are designed to prevent us from accepting and normalizing evil
and assigning it the force of law in our society.
• Whatever becomes accepted as a norm in our society eventually becomes
a law of our society.
• Any nation is only as good as the laws it enacts.
6.Keys
• Life in the Kingdom is really about returning to the governing authority of
God in the earth and learning how to live and function in that authority.
• The Kingdom of Heaven is not a secret society, but its keys have to be
learned.
• Keys represent authority, access, ownership, control, authorization, power,
and freedom.
• These keys are laws and principles. These keys lead to ultimate truth
which brings true liberty.
7Citizenship
• Citizenship is the most sacred privilege of a nation.
• Like any other country, the Kingdom of God has the
principle of citizenship.
• The new birth gives makes us citizens of the Kingdom of
God.
• Not only does the new birth make us citizens of heaven, but
our citizenship begins immediately. We are Kingdom
citizens right now. Our citizenship is a present reality.
8.Culture
• Once you understand the culture of a people, you
understand the people.
• Culture is the customary beliefs, social forms, and material
traits of a racial, religious, or social group.
• The battle for earth is the battle for culture.
9.Giving to the King
• Giving is a fundamental principle of the Kingdom
of Heaven.
• God is a giver.
• The power of kings is displayed in their wealth.
• Giving to a king attracts his favor.
• Giving activates royal obligation.
• Worship demands a gift and giving is worship.
• Give Him your life and receive His life.