SERMONS
REDISCOVERING THE KINGDOM OF GOD Part 16.
John T Brown • February 12, 2026
What Does It Take To Enter The Kingdom Of God?
Let’s take the lesson from The Rich Young Ruler in Matthew 19:16-22. The Rich Young Ruler asked Jesus: “Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?” (v16).
He, being a Jew who had observed and obeyed the Ten Commandments, was proud of himself to have fulfilled the Law. Yet Jesus said that the Rich Young Ruler lacked one thing, which caught him by surprise.
What was Jesus actually saying here? Jesus was introducing the Kingdom of God to the Rich Young Ruler. Jesus is saying that He being “a mediator of the new testament (covenant)” (Hebrews 9:15) Who fulfilled the Law (Matthew 5:17) and had “made the first (covenant) old… which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away” (Hebrews 8:13) has ushered in the Kingdom of God whereby He is the King and that the Rich Young Ruler should follow Him.
In Matthew 19:24, it says that “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God.” The Rich Young Ruler had great possessions. He loved his wealth more than God as what Jesus said in Matthew 19:23 “that a rich man shall hardly enter into the Kingdom of heaven.”
Yet Mark 10:21 says that “Jesus beholding him (the Rich Young Ruler) loved him.” Salvation is a gift of God. Ephesians 2:8 clearly states that “For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” Our part is to believe and receive that gift and be saved.
But to enter the Kingdom of God, one must acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord, and not just as Savior. To truly follow Jesus and calls Him Lord, we must consider the cost and put Him above everything else. Luke 14:26-28 says “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be MY disciple.
And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?”
These are hard sayings. John 6:66 says “… many of His disciples… walked no more with Him.” Acts 14:22 says that “we must through much tribulations enter the Kingdom of God.”
Be encouraged!
GBYAY
When they came down out of the upper room they didn't come down whispering, they didn't hide in the shadows, they rushed out into the market place with a revived passion. True passion always comes out in the speech and actions of the passionate. If people do not see and hear Jesus in us, then our passion is lacking. - John Brown. GBYAY
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with them, and they with me. - Revelation 3: 20. It has always fascinated me that this verse has often been cited by those calling others to conversion, when clearly in its context, it's written to lukewarm Christians needing to rekindle their love relationship to the Lord. As believers, we need to invite the Lord Jesus into our hearts, our home, and lives. It's not that He's not there; it's just that he awaits our invitation, He will not barge in. He only inhabits hearts into which He has been invited! Lord Jesus, I know you long to share your presence and fellowship with me. I know you are nearby as I draw each breath. But I confess that I am often unaware, and even sometimes unappreciative of your presence. I ask you this day to come into my heart and fill my life with your presence and comfort and power. I want my life to be lived for you and with you. I ask this in your wonderful name. Amen. Be encouraged! GBYAY
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. - 2 Cor 9:8. When a person works an eight-hour day and receives a fair day's pay for his time, that is a wage. When a person competes with an opponent and receives a trophy for his performance, that is a prize. When a person receives appropriate recognition for his long service or high achievements, that is an award. But when a person is not capable of earning a wage, can win no prize, and deserves no award--yet receives such a gift anyway--that is a good picture of God's unmerited favor. This is what we mean when we talk about the grace of God. - G.W. Knight.
A compliment can be a great motivator, particularly if you put a little thought into the why, when, and how of delivering it. Be sure to comment whenever someone on your staff keeps working in the face of rejection, handles a difficult situation well, catches an error, given another employee a helping hand, sells a particular product for the first time, or gives you a lead that proves fruitful. Most of the time, a compliment should be given in public, either at a meeting or on the company bulletin board. If the situation is delicate, convey your praise through a personal note that the employee can share with his family. As with all rewards, praise should be given immediately after good performance to provide the greatest reinforcement. - Bits & Pieces. Loving Heavenly Father, help me by the power of the Holy Spirit, to be an edifier, and to give praise where praise is due, that I may bring glory to your name. I ask this in the wonderful Name of Jesus. Amen. Be encouraged! GBYAY
Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. - Heb 12:2. A recent television documentary pointed out that the cheetah survives on the African plains by running down its prey. The big cat can sprint seventy miles per hour. But the cheetah cannot sustain that pace for long. Within its long, sleek body is a disproportionately small heart, which causes the cheetah to tire quickly. Unless the cheetah catches its prey in the first flurry, it must abandon the chase. Sometimes Christians seem to have the cheetah's approach to ministry. We speed into projects with great energy. But lacking the heart for sustained effort, we fizzle before we finish. We vow to start faster and run harder, when what we need may be not more speed but more staying power, stamina that comes only from a bigger heart. Motion and busyness, no matter how great, yield nothing unless we allow God to give us the heart. - Grant Lovejoy. We get hope from endurance, because the leading and the work of the Holy Spirit, brings a peace upon us! We have the rest, because of knowing that God has in the right place at the right time, and that helps us to enjoy His goodness. Our steadfastness of hope shows to others, that we believe God holds our future, in His hands! Hallelujah! Be motivated in the right way! Loving Heavenly Father, help me by the power of the Holy Spirit, to keep my motivation pure. Help me Lord to run the race, by serving Jesus and his commands. Help me Lord to keep my eye firmly fixed on Jesus, the founder and perfecter of my faith, and help me Lord to labour in your love. In Jesus wonderful name I pray, Amen! Be encouraged!
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. - John 14:6. I don't want to be any more exclusive than Jesus, but I do want to hear His voice, because He calls me to find the way to the Father through Him. I also know that others must know Him, to find their way to the Father, too. Why can we not be more passionate about those around us, who do not really know Jesus as their Saviour, Redeemer, and Lord? How can the first four books of our New Testament be read and ignored? Loving Heavenly Father, by the power of the Holy Spirit, give me a passion for Jesus, and a heart that knows Him in word, deed, and concern. I ask this in the wonderful Name of Jesus. Amen. Be encouraged! GBYAY
From the LORD comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people. - Psalm 3:8. God is The Great Deliverer! That's his chosen expertise. Whether it was delivering the Israelites through the Red Sea from Pharaoh's army ages ago, or it is rescuing a sinner from sin and death through Christ today, our God is The Great Deliverer! So let's use today to repeatedly pray for people who need God's deliverance from sin, death, disease, family conflict, addiction, financial concerns, legal matters, mental illness, abuse, and temptation. Loving Heavenly Father, by the power of the Holy Spirit, I ask for deliverance for my friends who are on my heart, and whose names I place before you now, release them from their bondage, and deliver them into a time of blessing, comfort, and assurance of your abiding presence. In the wonderful and mighty Name of Jesus I pray. Amen. Be encouraged! GBYAY
And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him." -Acts 5-32. God never promised a bed of roses to any of us, yet, to the obedient ones He has promised something greater than all the roses of this life. He promised us the Holy Spirit! The giving of the Holy Spirit, is evidence that it is the will of God, and that Jesus Christ should be obeyed. I would rather have the Holy Spirit bearing witness in my soul, when I go about my daily chores in my every day life, than to have all the trimmings and trappings of this world. We cannot expect to be redeemed and saved by Christ, unless we give ourselves up to be ruled by Him. Faith takes the Saviour in all His functions, who came, not to save us in our sins, but to save us from our sins. Hallelujah! What a mighty God we serve! Loving Heavenly Father, help me by the power of the Holy Spirit, to spread the good news of the gift of God, to people who need the Lord Jesus Christ in their lives. Direct my paths Lord, and grant me wisdom, that I may win them for you, in your wonderful and mighty name I pray. Amen. Be encouraged! GBYAY
Jesus won the victory on the cross once and for all, Satan is a defeated enemy and the final destruction of all evil will come when Jesus returns again. The first time Jesus came to earth was as a baby in a manger, but on His Second Coming He will return as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The New Testament tells us He will return in glory and gather His people into the Heavenly Kingdom He is preparing for them. As a Bible-believing Church, we believe Jesus is like a Bridegroom returning for His bride, the Church, and we must not only be ready but desire His return. You too, can have a relationship with Jesus today. Below is a prayer that if prayed sincerely from your heart will help you discover Jesus for yourself, in agreement with His Word… That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. - Rom 10:9-10. “Lord Jesus, I thank you for dying on the cross for my sins, forgive me for my sins, fill me with your Holy Spirit. I open the door of my heart and receive you as my Lord and personal Saviour. Help me to follow you all the days of my life, in your mighty name I pray. Amen" Be encouraged. GBYAY
TOUCH OF ENCOURAGEMENT ...They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?" He looked up and said, "I see people; they look like trees walking around." Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. Jesus sent him home, saying, "Don't even go into the village." - Mark 8:22-26. A PATIENT TOUCH ... No Hurry. Hope was born as Jesus took the time for this man. God is so patient with us, while we live in an "impatient generation." We've heard of folks who… “Stand at the microwave and scream hurry up!" And with people we have even less patience! But Jesus was patient to bring a hopeful encouragement to this man We must do the same. A POWERFUL TOUCH ... Sensitive. I believe that as Jesus took the man by the hand, the man knew that this touch was one of power, that could bring healing, Jesus' touch was powerful in that it was, comforting, it was as if Jesus seemed to say "allow me," it was a sensitive touch. Loving Heavenly Father, I thank you for your touch of encouragement. Help me by the power of the Holy Spirit, to reach out and touch others with the same encouragement. Change me Lord, for your glory and for the extension of your Kingdom, in Jesus wonderful and mighty name I pray, amen! Be encouraged! GBYAY