For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.for God’s Kingdom is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
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… fruit of righteousness appear? Through the Lord Jesus Christ. If you cross-reference that, and you will do so helpfully, with Romans chapter 14 and verse 17, Paul says, The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. In other words, he's saying to these people, don't think for a moment that you can take the Christian life and turn it simply into a whole succession of external rigmaroles. No, he says, the kingdom of God is about righteousness, it's about peace, it's about joy in the Holy Spirit. So, in other words, it is that which God engenders within us that he then calls us to pursue. Because by nature, we don't want to do the right thing. By nature, we want to do the wrong thing. By nature, we err and stray from his ways like lost sheep. So the Word of God comes to shine on our path and say, Do you want to know how to be righteous? Read this book. 2 Timothy 3.16, All Scripture is inspired by God, is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. …
… The kingdom of God, Paul said in Romans 14, the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Their issue is eating and drinking. We fast, you don't. Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. So let me give you a few things to do on the way out. Very simple. Number one, evaluate your joy. Are you like Eeyore the donkey? Is that your main disposition? Are you turning people off to the gospel? Evaluate your joy. Have you swallowed sunshine? Or are you like the guy who just found out his aunt gave everything to her pet hamster? Evaluate your joy, number one. Number two, evaluate your spiritual life. Are you more religious than you are relational? Are you more relational than you are religious? Are you more traditional or transformational? You've come into contact with God. Now, you cannot come into contact with God and stay the same. …
Why? For the Lord of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem and before his elders gloriously. Man, we had a great future. Romans chapter 14, verse 17. Romans 14, 17 says, For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Is that true of your heart? If that's true, that's because God's kingdom is in your heart. Mark chapter 1, verse 14. Now after John was put into prison, Jesus came to Galilee preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God. And saying, the time is fulfilled. The kingdom of God is at hand. repent and believe in the gospel. I wrote myself this note. It's at the bottom of page seven. I said, notice here, the kingdom is inseparable from, number one, the timing. Look at Mark 1, verse 14. Number two, the presence. Number three, repentance. Number four, faith. And number five, the message. The kingdom is all about that. Jesus said to believe on him and to repent and believe and you shall have eternal life. Awesome. Oh, I have too much. We're out of time. …
… But secondly, the kingdom grows not only through salvation but sanctification. In Romans chapter 14 and verse 17, it says, for the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. So that would be sanctification. So notice also, as long as you're in chapter 6, go over to verse 33. Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you, all the things you need. Again, this is a call to sanctification. Salvation advances the kingdom. Sanctification advances the kingdom. And then glorification advances the kingdom. As we think about Your kingdom come, we want to say with John in Revelation 22, 20, even so, come, Lord Jesus. Come as King of kings and Lord of lords. Come bring your glorious kingdom. So the kingdom advances through salvation, sanctification, and one day glorification. And John was praying at the end of Revelation, even so come Lord Jesus. I think probably more of us are praying for the second coming than in any other period in our lifetime. …
… Don't let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil, for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Verse 20, Don't tear down the work of God for the sake of food or drink. It's good for you not to eat meat or drink wine if it causes your brother to stumble. Somebody saved out of that? If you had a converted alcoholic over, would you offer him wine? Somebody rescued from that? Romans 15, verses 1 and 2 and 3, Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength, and not just please ourselves. Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good to his edification. For even Christ did not please Himself. You set aside freedoms so as you do not offend a weaker brother, another believer. You may be able to handle it. A believer seeing you do that may say, well, that must be okay. …
… Let's keep it there. But one of the cool things about this process is Romans 14, verse 17 says, the kingdom of God is not meat or drink. Kingdom, king's domain, the realm of his dominion. The realm of God's dominion is not meat or drink. As much as I would like for it to be. Because I like meat and drink. the kingdom of God is not meat or drink but it's righteousness peace and joy righteousness peace and joy two of those three realities are felt realities don't dumb down the feeling aspect of the kingdom because you'll miss out on two-thirds righteousness peace and joy in the holy spirit the kingdom of God is not meat or drink but it's righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. The kingdom of God is in the Holy Spirit. So when words become spirit, the reality of the kingdom becomes present. Come on. I want you to look with me at the book of Genesis and go to Genesis 28. …
… Therefore, do not let your good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. Therefore, let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense. It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine or do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak. Do you have faith? Have it yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves, but he who doubts is condemned if he eats because he does not eat from faith. For whatever is not from faith is sin. Again, dear ones, you have just heard a recitation not of the opinions of an ancient Jewish scholar, but nothing less than the Word of God Himself, which is given to us to reveal to us His character and what He requires of us, and He has by His eternal right as God the right to bind our consciences to obedience to His Word. Let it be so with us. Please be seated. …