NT Framework - A Millenial Kingdom with Immortal Kings & Mortal Subjects

There is a concrete path to ultimate victory: run to win, not by striving harder, but by learning Spirit-dependent discipline that produces endurance and earns imperishable rewards, all in Christ.

More information about Beyond the Walls, including additional resources can be found at www.beyondthewalls-ministry.com 

This series included graphics to illustrate what is being taught, if you would like to watch the teachings you can do so on Rumble (https://rumble.com/user/SpokaneBibleChurch) or on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtV_KhFVZ_waBcnuywiRKIyEcDkiujRqP).

Jeremy Thomas is the pastor at Spokane Bible Church in Spokane, Washington and a professor at Chafer Theological Seminary. He has been teaching the Bible for over 20 years, always seeking to present its truths in a clear and understandable manner. 

Transcript

Framing The Race Of Faith

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas and our series on the New Testament framework. Today, a smaller, bite-sized piece from the larger lesson. We hope you enjoy it.

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Paul likens it into an athletic event.

Walking By The Spirit Explained

The Crown Of Life In Trials

Ruling With Christ In The Kingdom

Immortals And Mortals Living Together

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You know, your your Christian life is like an athletic event. Verse 24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things, then they do it, or they then do it to receive a perishable crown or wreath, but we an imperishable. See, this is talking about rewards, the reward of an imperishable crown for running the Christian life in such a way that we are not disqualified. Well, how do we run and not be disqualified? In other words, how do we uh run the Christian life, the Christian race, in a way that qualifies us for reward? Well, just like Paul says, we are to walk by the spirit and not by the flesh. I mean, repeatedly, over and over, this is the way to live. You say, yeah, but what does that mean? To walk by the spirit. Well, it's walk independence, see? I mean, you can walk on your own, right? Or you can walk independence on the spirit. I liken it to, I've always likened it to the walk, a walker. You get older, and you know, I remember my grandfather had a walker. It had a couple tennis balls on the back, you know, stuck on the feet on the back so they slide real easily. And before that, he had a cane. Um, when he was on the cane, I don't know how many times Walmart called him telling him they had his cane, uh, because he wasn't walking independence on his cane. He just stuck it in the basket, right? And then he left and went out to his car and he was dependent on himself, right? And he's very liable to fall. He had three hip surgeries, three hip replacements. He used to say, Yeah, this is my 87 model, this is my 96 model, and then he got the 87 replaced like with a 2000 model. Um, but he he he would not depend on that cane. And same thing when the walker came along, you know, he didn't want to depend on it. He's like, put that thing over there, just do it himself. Now, we can either do it ourselves in the Christian life, right? Or we can depend upon the Holy Spirit. And that's the picture of the dependence on your walker, right? You're doing that because that's the right way to live. That's the right way to do it. And if we do that, then we are going to be qualified for this imperishable crown that Paul describes in Romans. I'm sorry, 1 Corinthians chapter 9. But there's others that are described here. James 1 12 describes another crown. Um there's five, five different crowns. Two of these are the same crowns, so they're described in two different passages. But James chapter 1, verse 12. Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial. For once he's been approved, he will receive the crown of life. There it is, the crown, which the Lord has promised to those who love him. So, how are you going to persevere through your trials? The only way to persevere through your trials is to love the Lord. Okay, that's what helps you persevere. If you're only looking at the trial and you're not looking at the Lord, you can never make it through the trial without failing through the trial. And so the way to persevere through a trial is to love the Lord. And for those who do and therefore persevere through, guess what? At the end of that, there is a crown. This is a reward that we will be given that will relate to our future status of ruling in the messianic kingdom to come. So all believers will be in this kingdom and I think rule to some extent, but the extent to which you rule, or, you know, what authority you're given to rule varies among believers. And this is all described in Luke 19, too. So there's also a whole parable about this. Um, you know, the one who's faithful with little, he'll be given much. I mean, you guys know this, right? This isn't that complicated. These are big biblical themes that if you're associated, you know, commonly in the Bible you you're familiar with these ideas. But it does point out the idea that there's a kingship that's awaiting us, see? God is at work to do this, and that will all take place in the thousand-year kingdom. And perhaps forever. We don't we'll have to think about that question further. Lastly, the result then will be in the kingdom, the thousand-year kingdom, a race of immortals or glorified people living right alongside and ruling over mortal people inside a history, a thousand-year earthly kingdom history. And this is described in some of the passages we mentioned here. So, but it leads to this interesting question: is it possible? Do we have any precedence for saying that immortals will live alongside mortals? Well, it's already happened twice. It's already happened. In fact, the first time it happened was in Genesis 3 through 6, in that pre-flood world where you had angels who are, I think we can all say, immortal, right? We have them living right alongside mortal men for about 2,000 years of war of history, which is a little bit about uh almost a third of human history. You remember they were stationed at the garden entrance, you know, cherry beam with a flaming sword? I mean, those were angels. I mean, and I I suppose there were more. But I mean, if you could just go up to that gate any time before the flood, guess who would be there? Angels. I mean, and they're immortal. So here you have a situation with mortals living alongside immortals. It's already happened. So is it such a strange idea to say it'll happen again? No, it's already happened. Another case where it happened, second case, is the glorified resurrected Christ. After he got his resurrection body, didn't he walk around and live among people for 40 days inside of history? Right there with mortals? And some of them said, Oh, well, I think we're just seeing a ghost. And so he says, Well, give me some of that fish over there and you know, here, and take a drink of this and do this and that. He showed that, hey, in the resurrection body you can eat and drink. So here we have another 40 days with a resurrected immortal being living right alongside mortals. So, can this happen in the thousand-year kingdom where we're immortal and other people on earth are mortal? Well, I mean, it's already happened, so it shouldn't be that strange of an idea, right?

SPEAKER_00 6:38

Thank you for joining us on Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas. If you would like to see the visuals that went along with today's sermon, you can find those on Rumble and on YouTube under Spokane Bible Church. That is where Jeremy is the pastor and teacher. We hope you found today's lesson productive and useful in growing closer to God and walking more obediently with Him. If you found this podcast to be useful and helpful, then please consider rating us in your favorite podcast app. And until next time, we hope you have a blessed and wonderful day.