When we understand the Word of God and master the Master's Word, which is the name of our series, when we master the Master's Word, we can comprehend and have deeper insights and better understanding of what's going on in our world, what's happening in our lives, in the lives of our family and friends. We have a much better picture of how to understand things. but it requires that we master the Master's Word. Have a mastery of God's Word. Have a mastery of what God is trying to say in His Word. And we've been talking about the big picture of the Bible, mastering the big picture, the big theme. We've talked about the Old Testament, and last week I introduced mastery of understanding the New Testament message, And I want to continue on that theme of mastering the New Testament. To master the New Testament requires knowing its message. in the context of the Bible as a whole. Otherwise, it's taken out of context. You can understand a lot about the New Testament without understanding the rest of the Bible, but you really don't have the depth or the appreciation of what the New Testament is all about unless you have a grasp of the context of the Bible. Knowing that the Bible's theme is about God's kingdom, that its origin and its future as presented in Genesis to Revelation is all about God creating his kingdom and then establishing his kingdom in the end. I mean, you got the beginning and the end. That tells you, as I mentioned before early on in our series, if you want to know what a book is all about, go to the last chapter and you'll find out how it ends. And then you know what the book was all about. When we know what the big picture is about the Kingdom of God message and then knowing that the Old Testament, you see the Old Testament is important. It provides important insights and context for understanding the New Testament. And when we know that the Old Testament is about the promises God has made to establish his kingdom, then we realize, you know, the Old Testament is all about those prophets promising the coming kingdom, which hasn't come yet. It's a promise. And then when we understand that in the Old Testament, the requirement of righteous perfection is necessary to enter into the kingdom of God, now we have a clue about why God gave Moses the law. It was all about showing people, you're not good enough to get into my kingdom. Oh, that's a problem. That's right. That's what the Old Testament was all about, showing people you're not good enough to get into my kingdom. The New Testament presents the fulfillment of God's promises. All those prophets from Genesis to Malachi, all throughout the Old Testament, promise after promise after promise of all that's going to happen, all that's going to come, it was fulfilled in Christ and beyond. Revelation chapter 21. when the kingdom of God is established in the new heavens, new earth. That's the ultimate ending of all things. That's where we're going. That's how it's ending. And so when we understand the Bible context, the Old Testament preceding the New Testament, that's why it's called old, because now there's a new. That gives us a clue of the relationship. The new had to come after the old. Anyway, all of that is important to understand and really to grasp and master the Bible, the message of the Bible. Jesus said in Luke chapter four, verse 43, he said, I must, key word, I must preach the kingdom of God. Do you feel compelled to preach the kingdom of God? I really appreciate people, whoever it might be, responding, yeah, I feel compelled to share the kingdom, the gospel of the kingdom of God. That is what compelled Jesus. He said, I must preach this message of the kingdom. If you've got the Holy Spirit in you, if you're saved, you feel that pressure, that compulsion of the Spirit of God that drove Jesus Christ, the heart of Christ, the love of Christ, to share the gospel. Yes, if that is within you, you are compelled in the same way to preach the same message. Not a different message, the same message. And as directed by Christ, he says, we must, like he must, we must do likewise. Look at Matthew 24, verse 14. It says here, and this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached. Now, you may not be involved in it, because you're not doing your job, and you're being irresponsible. Let's just say it as it is. If you're not a part of preaching the gospel of God's kingdom, and yet Jesus says, this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come. It's going to be done if you do not have a part in it. It's because you're in sin. That's how it is. There's no other way to talk about it, to excuse it. We're either participating in what will happen, and Jesus said, this shall happen. It shall happen because someone's doing it. Well, it just so happens we're supposed to all be doing it, but the fact that he says it shall be preached in all the world, it's gonna happen whether you do it or not. And if you're missing out, You don't have the pleasure of God on you. Do you? I mean, what is God's will? Is God's pleasure on us when we don't do his will? Oh, I'm so pleased with you not doing what I've commanded you to do. This prophetic promise that God brought to us throughout the Old Testament by the prophets, this promise that the gospel of the kingdom of God will reach every corner of the earth before Christ's return tells us that somebody is doing the job that God called them to do. Hallelujah for that. The question is, are you going to share in that? The word gospel means good news. It's great news. It's wonderful news from God. The good news of the kingdom of God is that God has made citizenship in his kingdom available to us through his son, Jesus Christ. That's good news. because Jesus paid for our sins and qualifies us to enter his kingdom. And there's no other way to be qualified for citizenship in his kingdom, outside of the work of Christ. There's no way to qualify without him. He has to do all the work. And this is based on his promise, not on our worthiness. This is good news. This is the good news of the New Testament. The good news is from beginning to end, it's throughout the Bible. But this is the focus and emphasis of the New Testament. It's a New Testament, which we'll look at later at another time in Hebrews chapter eight, it describes that the New Testament is the fulfillment of the promises of God from the Old Testament. That's good news. The promise God made before the foundation of the world and proclaimed by his prophets throughout history and recorded in the Old Testament is revealed to be fulfilled in the New Testament. In other words, the New fulfills all the prophecies and all the promises that were made in the Old. And that's how the New complements the Old. It's not a New Testament because it's a different testament. It's a New Testament because it fulfills that which the old promised. They actually are together. They're connected. They're complementary. One has the promises and the other has the fulfillment. This understanding gives insight into the promise we hope for and the meaning behind praying for the peace of Jerusalem as I mentioned earlier. Psalm 122 verse six declares, pray for the peace of Jerusalem, they shall prosper that love thee. God's promises will be fulfilled in their entirety in the new heaven and new earth and not any sooner. Why? Because the promises can't be fulfilled until the new heavens and the new earth. Oh, you can have promises fulfilled along the way, but the ultimate aim is what? The establishment of the kingdom of God in the new heavens and new earth. And that's when the peace of Jerusalem shall last forever and ever and ever. Why? Because they'll never be under threat again. And until then, they're under threat. Revelation chapter 21 and verse four as well. 21, one and four. Affirm the hope saying, and I saw a new Jerusalem and a new earth. For the first heaven and the first earth were passed away. All right. The old, that's what we're in now. Just like there's an Old Testament that was replaced with the New Testament, there's an old heaven and earth that we presently live in that's gonna be replaced by the new heaven and new earth. Isn't that an interesting way to think about it? So verse four says, God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away. That's why I started out saying, this tragedy of this flood that took the lives of all those little girls, that is the hallmark of Satan's kingdom. That is not God's kingdom. God's kingdom is where there is no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain of any kind. When we see misery and suffering in the world, we ought to be mindful of and remember, this is not God's kingdom, but we pray for it to come. Because when his kingdom is established, we won't see floods and disaster like that anymore. Hallelujah. If you keep God's end goal in mind, whenever you read prophecy in the scriptures, you will actually deepen your appreciation for the promises made and retain the end goal in your mind and in your understanding, because it's so easy to forget. Why? In part, because most people don't know about it and don't talk about it that way. They don't know what the end goal is themselves. You tune into radio preachers and you read books and so on. They don't know what the end goal is, most of them. They're talking about everything else but the context. That's why I say if you really want to master the Bible, master the master's word, you've got to understand the context and where all this is going. And it adds such richness and depth to understanding the prophets. Whenever you read promises in the Old Testament, you know he's talking about the end goal. That's why he's not talking in hyperbole or exaggeration. The promises of God are not exaggerated. When he talks about there will be forever peace in Israel, when he talks about that Israel will be a peculiar people and that his throne will be established in the hills of Zion and all these glorious things that he says, those are not hyperboles. That will happen when his kingdom is established, and not any sooner. It's the only time they can be fulfilled. He's not exaggerating, as oftentimes he says. Well, I know it says it, but it doesn't mean that. And then we begin to rest the scriptures, as Peter said about Paul, and we begin to twist and wind and make things try to fit our pea brain explanations and excuses for why it doesn't quite fit today, but somehow it is. The problem is it isn't today. It's when God establishes his kingdom. You can't make the promises of God fit into Satan's kingdom. That's why it's so hard to make prophecies work today because there's so much effort trying to make God's work and God's promises fit in today's world. A, what has light to do with darkness? But every promise, right down to its perfection in every detail, will be totally, absolutely, completely fulfilled in the new heavens, new earth. That's the promise. I don't know about you, but that creates such liberation, such liberty, and such relief in my own soul and my mind when I think about, yep, that's how it will really be. Not wishful thinking or, well, it's almost there. Well, it's sort of there. Well, if I concoct this interpretation, I can make it fit today. It's liberating to know, no, you don't have to do that. And the reason why it's so difficult to make the prophecies fit in the world today is because we live in kingdom, in Satan's kingdom and not God's kingdom. That's why. This is a series of slides or pictures that are very helpful to understand the Bible in the timeline of creation. And it really helps pictorialize what the gospel is in creation, in the Bible. It helps us master the message, grasp it, and understand the context of God's message. The promise of the kingdom of God involves three key elements. Because the promise of the kingdom of God is the gospel message. And what's involved in that? God's promise, God's law, and God's grace. He promised to establish his kingdom before the world began. He promised. That was his intent. From the very beginning, he intended what we see in Revelation 22. He already knew where he was going from the very beginning, before our own beginning, before Earth's beginning. He already knew how it was going to end up. And he made a promise. This is how I promised to you. This is how it's going to be. And you can be here too. That's a promise. His law. governs how things must be in his kingdom. He's telling us, this is my kingdom. And as Habakkuk 1.13 reminds us, thou art of pure eyes that behold evil and canst not look upon iniquity. If God can't stand to look at sin, can't stand to be in his presence, can't tolerate it whatsoever, and he lives in heaven, that's his dwelling place, in the new heavens and new earth, do you think that a sinner is going to be there? No way. That's the problem with the world right now. We're suffering from sin in a sin self-inflicted will of humanity. So what we have is God's promise to establish his kingdom. He then shows us that there is the law, that this is what's required for citizenship in my kingdom. You've got to be perfectly righteous, no sin. And then the third key element in the gospel message is grace is required to satisfy both the law and the promise. Both. And he says, I must do it by grace. I will fulfill both of these. I will fulfill my promise and I will fill the law of perfect righteousness so that you can have a part in my kingdom. These are his eternal promise, his divine law, and his redeeming grace, all working together. These are the three foundational pillars that form the heart of the message of the kingdom of God. And we should all know these messages individually already. It ought to be already a part of our thinking. In the history of humanity, these three pillars are portrayed in Abraham, Moses, and Christ. Abraham received the promise. Moses received the law. And Christ fulfilled both. in that over a span of almost 2,000 years beyond anyone's lifespan, individual lifespan, God presented and recorded the gospel of his kingdom in real events and real people. Paul wrote about this connection between Abraham's promise and Christ's fulfillment in Galatians chapter three, verses 16 through 18. where he says, now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, and to seeds, as of many, but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ. And what Paul is writing about is this promise of Jesus Christ was already given to Abraham way back 4,000 years ago. And he says, and this I say, that the covenant that was confirmed, the covenant, the agreement, the promise of God made to Abraham, confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was 430 years after Abraham, and then Moses, and then Christ, between Abraham and Moses, about 430 years. That is from the promise, and then the law. And that law cannot disannul the promise given to Abraham, that it should make the promise of none effect. In other words, God's promise given prior to the law supersedes the law, whatever it might do, which was bringing about condemnation. God's promise is greater than the law of works. For if the inheritance, the inheritance to what? Inheritance. If the inheritance into the kingdom of God, it for if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise. But God gave to Abraham my promise. How are you planning to inherit the kingdom of God? You know, this takes us back to Romans chapter eight, where we become the children of God and then join heirs with Christ and heirs accordingly. Why? Because we're brought into, by birth, into the family of God. Which gives us right and inheritance into the kingdom of God, which is by promise, not by works. but by promise. Paul teaches that the promises made to Abraham is not merely historical. That's the importance of Genesis chapter 3, 16 and 18 right here. Paul is teaching that the promise made to Abraham is not merely historical, is profoundly spiritual. There are three key insights to take away from Paul's statement. First, the promise to Abraham ultimately required, and was only possible through his seed, Jesus Christ. Secondly, Jesus is, by human lineage, a descendant of Abraham, according to Matthew chapter one, verse one. making him a legitimate heir to the Abrahamic promise that God gave to him. And all families shall be blessed of thee. We looked at that in Genesis chapter 12 several weeks ago. And the third point to take note of is the order and the timing of the promise, the law, and Christ parallels our personal journey and experience with the gospel message. You see, what you're seeing up here on the wall in this picture is a progression from Abraham to Moses to Christ, from promise to law to grace. You were born into this world with a promise from God that was given before the foundation of the world, that you too could be an heir into his kingdom. But you came to the age of accountability, you sinned, and you lost that inheritance, you were lost and condemned under the law of God. But then Christ, the message of Christ came into your ears and you heard it and the Holy Spirit blended that with faith and revealed to you and confirmed, this is true, and you said, I believe, and now you have the grace of God and restored to inherit the kingdom of God. That's the gospel message built into the history of humanity over 2,000 years span. Returning to the first point to note in Galatians chapter three, 16 through 18, the promise to Abraham ultimately required and was only possible through his seed, Jesus Christ. This means that the blessings God promised were always intended to be fulfilled in and through Christ. It was not through natural descent, It was not by adherence to the law. It was not by accidental appearance. It was God's plan all along, from before the foundation of the world. And so when he gave the promise to Abraham, it was a promise already determined before Abraham was even born. The way to enter that promise is by being born of God, not of Abraham, not of Abraham's lineage physically, but being born of God, which is to say being born of Jesus Christ, according to John chapter three, verse three. It's at that moment we're imputed with the righteousness of God spiritually. imputed with the righteousness of God. That's what qualifies us for citizenship in his kingdom. Without that, we're not qualified. We won't enter into the kingdom of God. Being born again makes that possible. The only way to qualify to enter the kingdom of God requires being born of Christ, as Jesus said in John 3, verse 5. Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. You must be born again, or you will have no part. You cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Number two, the second point there in Galatians, Jesus is, by human lineage, a descendant of Abraham, according to Matthew chapter one. making him a legitimate heir to the Abrahamic promise. Yet, he is far more than a physical heir. Colossians 1, verses 16 and 17 tell us that Christ is also the creator and sustainer of all things. So the promise made to Abraham is a profound demonstration, a demonstration of God's redemptive message woven into human history. I'm saying demonstration, because it's not what makes the promise possible. The promise made to Abraham was not necessary for us to inherit the kingdom of God, any more than sharing our personal testimony. It's the gospel that will save you. It's what God does for you that qualifies you to enter into the kingdom of God. Not the story of Abraham. Like the sacrifices required by law, under the Mosaic law, like the sacrifices were shadows of things, but not the very real things, which could never take away the sins of the world. They were shadows. They were demonstrations. The promise given to Abraham represented as a demonstration, as a foreshadowing, the promise of salvation in God's kingdom that was already determined and in place before Abraham was born, before the world began. Jesus made all things and all things were made for him. He did not need Abraham or Abraham's promise to possess all things. He already possessed it. He already owned it. So then for what purpose did God give the promise to Abraham? Because it makes the relationship between Abraham and Christ a typology. an illustration to demonstrate the gospel message. Abraham received the promise, Christ fulfilled it, and believers in Christ become co-heirs with him, Romans 8, 17. This connection between the promise of God and Christ is portrayed in the connection between Abraham and Christ. in the physical lineage portrayed, demonstrated. The portrayal is how God illustrates and demonstrates the fulfillment of his promise through Christ. By tracing this progression through scripture, the gospel message of God's kingdom comes into view. Even more clear, unfolding in real time through the events of human history. Think of it as the gospel portrayed in human history over many generations. And whenever I reflect on this extraordinary testimony built into human history over the span of many generations, it compels me to proclaim there must be a God. Who else could control human history like that and encode, demonstrate, foreshadow that which was totally out of control of humanity? No one can control what's going to happen beyond our lifespan, but God is alive and well. And though humans come and go, he was controlling the message of the gospel recorded in human history. This insight and realization are reasons to examine the very timeline of creation itself, to trace the unfolding of God's eternal purpose from the beginning. This revelation of God's kingdom message is in the timeline of creation is remarkable. But with an understanding of Christ's role in the New Testament, we can grow in our appreciation of the message of God and deepen our insights into mastering his word. We're glad you joined us for our services here at Mission Boulevard Baptist Church. If this program has helped you and you would like to have more information about trusting Christ as your Lord and Savior, or if you would like to have resources to help you in your spiritual walk and growth, please email us at the address on your screen. We look forward to having you join us again online, but you are always welcome to personally attend any of our services at the Mission Boulevard Baptist Church here in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Hi, this is Dr. Patrick Briney. I hope and pray this important lesson has improved your life. For more life-changing lessons, and to get your free book that I've written for you, visit my website at patrickbriney.com. And please share this valuable lesson with at least three of your friends to enrich their lives in our Lord Jesus Christ. I'll upload my next lesson for you soon. God Bless.