Its Future

1. ITS FAILURE TO BRING THE KINGDOM
1. The Church and the Kingdom
1. The root of most false doctrine
1. Replacement theology
2. Charismatic movement
3. Roman Catholicism
4. Christian Science
5. Sabbath keeping
6. Works salvation
7. The location of heaven
8. The inhabitants of heaven
9. Faulty concepts concerning the coming of Christ
10. Baptism and circumcision
11. State Church
2. Some obvious distinctions
1. The position of Christ
1. In the church – He is the head of the body (Colossians 1:18And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
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2. In the kingdom – He is the king of the world (Psalm 10:16The LORD is King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his land.
   See All...; Zechariah 14:9And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.
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2. The presence of Christ
1. In the church – He is in heaven (Romans 8:34Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
   See All...; Ephesians 1:20Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
   See All...; Colossians 3:1If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
   See All...; Hebrews 1:3Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:
   See All...; 1 Peter 3:22Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
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2. In the kingdom – He is seated on a throne in Jerusalem (Isaiah 9:6For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
   See All...; Jeremiah 23:5Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
   See All...; Luke 1:32He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
   See All...; Acts 2:30Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;
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3. The mention in the Old Testament
1. The church – A mystery (Ephesians 3:1-12 [1] For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, [2] If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: [3] How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, [4] Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) [5] Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; [6] That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: [7] Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. [8] Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; [9] And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: [10] To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, [11] According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: [12] In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
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2. The kingdom – Widely mentioned (Psalm 2 and many others)
4. Judgment for sin
1. The church – There is certainly some immediate judgment for sin, but the main punishment occurs after death at the various judgments.
2. The kingdom – Judgment for sin will be exact and immediate (Zechariah 14:16-19 [16] And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. [17] And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. [18] And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. [19] This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
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5. Sacrifices
1. The church – Our sacrifices are spiritual in nature (Romans 12:1I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
   See All...; Hebrews 13:15By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
   See All...; 1 Peter 2:5Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
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2. The kingdom – Animal sacrifices will return (Zechariah 14:21Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the LORD of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts.
   See All...).