In this recorded service, Pastor Keith, Pastor Harry Pitts, and worship leader Speaker B present the third and fourth installments of a multi‑week teaching series on the Kingdom of Heaven. Using a constitutional metaphor, they define the "constitution" of God’s kingdom as the Bible, explain the "Bill of Rights" that grants spiritual privileges (approach to God, forgiveness, provision, eternal life), and describe the "government structure" with Christ as King and the Holy Spirit as Counselor. They then discuss the "New Covenant" as a constitutional amendment that writes God’s law on believers’ hearts. The sermon outlines concrete benefits of becoming a kingdom citizen—favor, material provision, triumph over sin and death, and divine protection—illustrated with biblical examples (Jeremiah, Paul, Dolly Parton) and contemporary anecdotes. The service concludes with an invitation to visit 514 Grace Church in Villa Rica, GA, and a call to continue the series.
Chapters
This program is brought to you in part by the friends and partners of 514 Grace Ministries. Coming up next on the— I'm in with you and poor Jeremiah.
Who still reigns? Jesus, Jesus. Hey! We shout one name. Jesus, Jesus. Chains snap when we call that name. We lift one name. Jesus, Jesus. Hell backs up when we praise. We shout one name. Jesus, Jesus. Walls fall, giants hit the ground. We lift one name. Jesus, Jesus. King of glory, wear your crown. Light hit the dark, now the night gotta move. Fire in my chest, got my faith in the groove. Storm tried to talk, but it Pastor Harry Pitts and Pastor Tracy Pitts.
Amen. Thank God for them. Amen. I thank God. These lessons that we've been going over has been so informative for us, amen, that God has taken us into a new dimension of understanding of the kingdom. Amen?
Amen.
Because when Jesus came and he said to prioritize seeking first the kingdom of God—
Amen.
Amen. That was different and radical compared to what was being taught at that time when he was in the flesh as man on this earth. Once again, they were teaching Judaism in the land at that time. the teachings of the rabbinic priests and the traditions of the, uh, of the Jews and the Torah. Amen. So Jesus came and he says there's going to be a new way. We're in a different dispensation. He says that we have got to learn about the kingdom.
Amen.
And inside the kingdom It's the teachings of Jesus. It is the grace of Christ that's inside the kingdom of heaven. Amen. There's honoring of God in the kingdom of heaven. Amen. So, Jesus wasn't trying to tell them to go off onto a tangent at something that was going to be wrong and harmful for them. There's something that was going to be helpful. Amen.
Amen.
But it takes that first step, the hardest step, especially at that time, And even in today's time, in the 21st century we're in, the first step is usually the hardest, to humble ourselves, to admit that we're wrong, that we need a Savior, that we need to accept the right way of being taught. Amen? Because we still have traditions today in the 21st century. Lo and behold, sometimes when I've been growing up, The churches would ask for the members, people to come up to the church just to join them, join the church.
Amen.
There was no call for salvation.
That's right. So true.
You know, I'm not here to criticize or make fun of anyone who's pastoring like that, but you still need to be born again. I mean, Jesus said, marvel not when I say unto you, you must be born again. So even in the 21st century, this is relevant, this teaching, because you got to be born again for your passport to get in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus didn't say that, uh, don't teach about salvation, about being born again, when he's talking about the kingdom of God or the kingdom of heaven.
Amen.
He's still got to be born again.
That's right.
So, we're not going to belabor the time and whatnot. We're going to go over briefly a little bit of part 3 that we were talking about last week for— because we didn't finish all of part 3. And then we're going to jump into part 4. And then next couple of weeks after this week, we're still going to be going over some benefits of part 4. for the benefits of becoming a citizen of the kingdom of heaven. Amen.
Amen.
And then we're going to be going over the lastly— the last week on the prophecy of the kingdom. Amen. That's a part that we haven't talked about. It was prophesied about the kingdom. Praise God. Because the Bible says in Matthew 13:52, That, uh, behold, a scribe, which was a teacher of the law, once he's converted to the teachings of grace, he has in his household and bring out old things and new things. Amen. From the Old Testament and the New Testament. Amen.
Amen.
Praise God. So last week, part 3, we were talking about, which we're going to finish today, part 3. What is the constitution of the kingdom of heaven? And we said the constitution is— a constitution is the supreme set of fundamental principles and rules or laws by which a country, state, or organization is governed.
Yes.
It establishes the structure of government, defines the scope of its power, and guarantees the basic rights, liberties, and responsibilities of its citizens. The Holy Bible, as we said, covers every aspect of that definition. Amen?
Amen.
Easily. We went over the Bible as being the king's law. Last week we talked about the Bible as being the preamble, going into detail about how that's saying that government has the sovereign authority. Constitutional identity. Who are the citizens? Chosen. These are chosen people. Amen.
Amen.
Praise God. A chosen race, a royal priesthood. Amen.
Amen.
God, praise God. Hallelujah.
Amen.
Now we're going to go over a little bit more of that 3rd point, the constitutional identity. Who are the citizens of Who are the citizens? A chosen people.
Amen.
Just going over briefly, chapter 2, verse 9, out of the English Standard Version says, but you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Heavenly citizenship. This is under the constitutional identity. Heavenly citizenship. Philippians chapter 3, verse 20, coming from the English Standard Version again. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior.
Yes.
The Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Amen.
Part that we did not cover last week that much, the Bill of Rights, number 4. We're going to talk about the promises, protections, and privileges of being a citizen of the Constitution. Praise God. The Constitution has given the promises, protections, and privileges for its citizens. Amen.
Amen.
These verses outline the rights and guarantees granted to the kingdom citizens. Going with Hebrews chapter 4, verse 16, right to approach God. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Yes.
Praise God.
Hallelujah.
There's many times when we have problems and situations and trials going through us, we don't have time to call a pastor or call the Pope or whatever. We, we got to know how that fresh, that straight-line avenue to God ourselves. Amen. Praise God. If you're sinking in quicksand, you don't have time to call a pastor. You say, you call on Jesus. Amen. Right to forgiveness. 1 John 1:9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We went over that by saying that it can hinder our relationship with being confident to go before the Father if we feel like we're not forgiven.
Right.
It gives us more hope. It gives us more desire to be around the Father once we know that he can forgive us. Amen?
Amen.
And to renew that relationship. Amen?
Amen.
Praise God. Right to provision, number 3 under the Bill of Rights. Right to provision. Matthew chapter 6, verse 31 says, therefore do not be anxious, saying, what shall we eat? Or what shall we drink? Or what shall we wear? For the Gentiles seek after all these things. The Gentiles are people that didn't fear God, they're not having that fear, no relationship with God, amen? All these things do the Gentiles seek, for our heavenly Father knows that you need them. Amen. But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be what? Added to you. This comes down to a matter of trust. God says, I know that you need clothes. I know you need money for taxes. Like Jesus had to pay taxes. He said, go to the lake When they were needing money one particular time, he said, get the corn out of the fish's mouth.
That's right.
So even Jesus had to deal with those minuscule things that we have to deal with. Amen?
Amen.
But God said it's a matter of trust. A matter of trust.
Seek. That's right.
The kingdom.
Yes.
God says, you gotta trust by doing that process, trust that I will provide these other things for you. That's going to help you with your faith.
That's right.
Because once you are confident by thinking and walking in the revelation that, hey, I seek to do God's will, I seek to seek the kingdom of heaven first, that God is going to take care of my bills, he's going to help me with my— that doesn't mean quit your job. No, we're not saying that. Amen. Because the scripture says the balance— a man doesn't eat, he don't Praise God. It don't— it gotta work. Amen. If you want to eat something, you want a hamburger or something, you gotta earn it. Amen. Praise God. If man doesn't work, he doesn't eat. So there's balance there. But God is like saying, the attitude is, hey, still trust me.
That's right.
It takes that trust to know that if I'm doing your will, Father— say, God, I gotta have you take my back. I gotta have you to help me with my provisions. And God says, I know that. Just follow me, do it my way, and whatnot. You'll see that I'm going to come through for you. And then that, as you do that more and more, you see God provide for you more and more. It gives you confidence to say, hey, God is going to take care of me if I do his will first. Amen.
Amen.
Right to eternal life. John chapter 10, verse 28. I give them eternal life, and they will, will, uh, will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. Man, that's a powerful hand. Praise God. I mean, no one. No demon in hell. No one.
No one.
Thank you, Lord. Let's go to number 5 right here. Part number 5, government structure, how the kingdom operates. The governing order of God's kingdom. Amen. We're talking about the governing order of God's kingdom. Christ as King. Revelation chapter 19, verse 16. Revelation chapter 19, verse 16, uh, coming from the English Standard Version. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Amen. Amen.
Hallelujah. That settles it right there. There's no need in debating. Say, I'm the King of Kings. We are the small k kings. If you read that in the scripture, the first King is with a capital K and the second kings is with a small letter k. Amen? In some of your translations. Number 2 for the government structure. how the kingdom operates. The Holy Spirit as counselor.
Amen.
John chapter 14, verse 26 says, but the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Many times when we're going through trials and tribulation, we got to remember the promises. The Bible says that, uh, that The promises of God are like a fortress for us. It's like an armored suit. Praise God. Those promises. Because as we— the Bible says, without faith it's impossible to please God. So we have got to have faith that those promises will work.
Amen.
God, you said in your word that you will supply all my needs according to your riches and glory. We have to believe that and see God come through. Amen. You may go to the scriptures in Proverbs and whatnot by saying those who give generously, praise God, that God will be generous with them. Praise God. That's a promise.
That's right.
Amen. And it takes faith to believe that because you're holding on to that $10 bill that somebody needs it or whatnot, and you only got $5 more after you give that $10 bill. It takes faith.
Amen.
That's right. And you go ahead and give that $10 bill so somebody can get a lunch or whatever. The next week you see somebody put maybe $50 or $100 in your hand. It can happen. Praise God. Hallelujah. Number 3, the church assembly. Amen. Ephesians chapter 2, verse 19 says, So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. Jesus being the cornerstone is everything. It's like He said the whole wall cannot stand without Jesus being that cornerstone. He's the thing that's keeping the structure together. Amen. Those promises and whatnot that Jesus said, hey, believe on me, believe on my finished works. I'm holding this together, the temple. Verse 22, in him you are, in him you are also being built together into a dwelling place for God the Spirit.
Yes.
Let's go to part 4 of this situation of the Constitution. The constitutional amendment, the New Covenant, shows how the Constitution, which is the Bible, was fulfilled and expanded in Christ. Number 1, New Covenant promise. We'll go to Jeremiah chapter 31, starting at verse 31 through 34. Jeremiah chapter 31, starting at verse 31, going through 34. Hallelujah. Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah.
Verse 32.
Not like the covenant I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. Verse 33, for this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord. I will put my law within them.
Yes.
And I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Verse 34, and no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, know the Lord, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.
Hallelujah.
Hallelujah. Declares the Lord, for I will be— for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. Praise God. God places a big emphasis, uh, as we'll see it throughout the New Testament and the Old Testament, that Jesus is saying, I've got to get rid of the sin, the sin nature.
Come on.
Amen. Not saying that we will be perfect, but the sin nature will be gone after we're born again. As we get closer to him by studying the word, reading the word, staying in prayer, we desire more and more to please the Father.
Amen.
And we desire more and more to get away from the things that hurt the Father. Amen.
Amen.
Because we'll feel like trash or something when we do something that hurts the Father. Amen.
Amen.
We feel like, how could I do this to the Father because he's been so good to me? Whatnot. It gives us that moral compass. That's like God changing our nature. We're not happy with those things that displease the Father when we— like we used to be. So it's changing our nature. Praise God. So there's like progress towards going towards pleasing God and trying to let go of those things that were displeasing to him. Amen. Changing the nature. Because God says that, uh, you'll see a theme throughout the scripture and whatnot when So, when Jesus is talking about getting rid of sin, doing away with sin, and when he says to forgive people for their sins, whatnot, on his basis, on his side, he's saying that that sin will hinder him doing the things that he wants to do through us and whatnot.
Yes.
It'll hinder the relationship with us getting closer together, him with us. He says that sin has got to be dealt with because it can hinder relationships. Me talking to you, me counseling you, me bringing you to a higher level and whatnot.
Amen.
And it can be done by the more we get closer to the Lord. That's up to us. That's up to you.
Amen.
Taking that time, uh, to spend time with God on our knees and then that time of being in the Word before God and whatnot. It'll bring us closer to him. Amen.
Yes.
Hallelujah.
Praise God. Number 2, Christ fulfills the law. Matthew chapter 5, verse 17. Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. Amen.
Amen.
Praise God. Number three, law written on the hearts. Hebrews chapter eight, verse ten. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days. We're just reading in the New Testament the shadow that we were just reading it out of the Old Testament in Jeremiah. Amen. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel. After those days, declares the Lord. Hebrews chapter 8, verse 10. I will put my law into their minds and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. God knows that we don't have the ability, we don't have the willpower to obey his will on our own effort. We don't have it. We're frail.
That's right.
We'll give into temptation or whatever at a heartbeat without that restriction of God's grace being with us, amen, to give us the strength, you know, to say no to that thing, amen.
Amen.
Praise God. Now we're about to go on to, uh, part 4 here, amen, talking about more details, the benefits of the king— being a citizen of the kingdom of God. Amen. Praise God. These are some good things. We're going to be talking about some more of them. This is not the only one, so we're going to be talking about more next week. Benefits of being a citizen of the kingdom of heaven. Things go well for you. This is the one category. Things will go well for you.
Yes.
This is one of the benefits of this being a citizen of the kingdom of heaven. Please, I ask those who are watching the broadcast over the airwaves and whatnot, please take good notes. You will see this when you read it, that there are definite benefits to becoming a citizen.
That's right.
Starting with Jeremiah chapter 22, verses 15 through 16. In this category, we're talking about things going— things go well for you. Coming out of the International— New International Version, the NIV translation. Jeremiah chapter 22, verse 15 and 16. Does it make you a king to have more cedar? This is a son being talked to. Both of them were kings. The son was a king and the father was a king. Amen.
Amen.
But the father was more humble with God. He took— he didn't— he wasn't materialistic as the son, that his son was going to be. And God is like telling the son, does it make you a better king by having more seated, to having more expensive material things in the palace and whatnot? Nah, it's the heart, a relationship with him.
Right.
So I'm trying to give you a backdrop of what this is talking about right here. Jeremiah chapter 22, verse 15 and 16. Does it make you a king to have more cedar? Did not your father have food and drink? It's talking about the wisdom of his father was he was more in not into materialistic things, but to be closer to God. Did not your father have good, have food and drink? He did what was right. and just. So what? All went well with him. Does that make any sense?
Wow.
The son was going towards being materialistic and flashy and whatnot, and God's like saying, hey, your father was a good king, but he did— he took the things that were right, the things that really mattered, helping people, helping the poor.
Yes.
Having time with him, with God, seeking God. His attitude is more on being righteous, pleasing God. That's the comparison that is being made right here through the man of God. The prophet of God is telling the, the, the, the son that his father was dealing with the things that made— that really had merit, that really mattered. The things that really matter.
That's right.
What's the things that really matter? Getting closer to the Father, not the materialistic things.
That's right.
Because like he said again, does it make you a king because you have more cedar? Nah. No, no, no. He did what was right, talking about his father, talking to the son, talking about his father that was a king. He did what was right. And just because he did what was right and just, what, what happened? All went well with him. Verse 16, he defended the cause of the poor and needy. So what was the result? So all went well. Does that make any sense?
Yes.
He's being generous, he's doing righteous, he wasn't concerned about being himself. He was wanting to help share, wanting to help give to the needy and whatnot. God says, hey, he's— that's my kind of man.
That's right.
So all went well for him in the kingdom. Amen.
Amen.
Verse 2, favor comes your way. This is another big category of a benefit becoming a citizen of the kingdom of heaven. Favor comes your way. Proverbs chapter 11, Verse 27, from the New International Version, NIV. Proverbs chapter 11, verse 27. Whoever seeks good finds what? Favor.
Mm.
I'm about to give you an example. That's the first part. That's part A of verse 27. Whoever seeks good finds favor. Dolly Parton, all of us know Dolly Parton, a worldwide country singer.
Right.
She gives a lot, very generously.
Amen.
So she was seeking to do good. This example I'm about to use, a few years ago, I don't know if it was 3, 4, maybe 5 years ago, the best I can remember. So please forgive me if I don't remember it fully, but I do remember it happening.
Right.
A few years ago, she made an announcement that she was giving college scholarships To her employees' children at Dollywood. They didn't know that was coming. It was unexpected. She just made the announcement. I'm going to be able to help provide for your children's college scholarship. I mean, I'm sure that made some of the parents just jump up and down, saying, man, I didn't know that was coming. That was a generous gift.
Yes.
Out of her heart. Now I'm using this for an example. We can be using it on a small scale and whatnot, praise God. You can help someone by giving them some sugar or giving them a chicken or something that, you know, from your kitchen pantry or whatever that, you know, someone who's food insecure. Amen?
Amen.
Someone that needs something. But I'm just using this for an example. Because she did that and she gives many other avenues as well, God blessed her with opening last week, which I'm about to say right here, this is only the first store. I'm sure she's going to do many more. Many of y'all are very familiar with Buc-ee's.
Yes.
Kind of like the new sensation or the new trend of stopping for travel. People traveling long distances, they stop at Buc-ee's. They can get, you know, a whole assortment of sandwiches or foods and novelty items and things of that nature right there. Dolly, I mean, Dolly Parton, she just started that last week in Nashville, Tennessee with her first store. So I'm thinking she's going to be doing many more, opening up many more other stores as this becomes successful. And one of the features she has in her store is a laundromat. You can wash clothes and dry your clothes in there. Amen?
Amen.
So people that's traveling whatnot, long distances or whatever, they can stop in the store, get food, wash the clothes, dry the clothes, you know, and do a whole assortment of other, other things. It's going to be a very successful venture. Amen. But God has blessed her with that because why? Her giving to people.
Yes.
Her being generous.
Yes.
Being kind.
Yes.
The Bible says in 2 Corinthians chapter 9, Those who sow generously will reap generously. Amen?
Yes.
Praise God. Number 3, for one of the benefits of being a citizen of the kingdom of heaven, you will live in triumph over sin and death. Number 3, you will live in triumph over sin and death. And we're going to go over what some of those mean, the sin and death. Romans chapter 5, verse 17 is our scripture for point on this. Amen. Romans chapter 5, verse 17, coming from the New Living Translation, the NLT. For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule rule over many.
Right.
Lord have mercy.
That's right.
But even greater is God's wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness. Romans chapter 5, verse 17. For all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ. Now, how does that gift translate into triumph? giving you grace and the gift of righteousness, uh, to help us triumph over sin and death. Well, sin comes with condemnation.
That's right.
It comes— that condemnation is a form of death. Some people, because they're so hurt and upset because of the past mistakes that we made in the past, Satan will use that. The enemy will use that To say, you, you dirty so-and-so, you don't, you don't deserve to do any better. You know you did wrong, uh, 10 or 5 years ago, whatever, when you did whatever you did.
That's right.
And God's like saying, hey, look at my forgiveness for you. Don't pay attention to Satan trying to put this in your mind, to cram it in your mind. It's condemnation. Even Jesus said, I didn't come to condemn the world. Amen. So that's a form of death. That's a form of the death with sin. That condemnation is go on in the future when we're constantly looking in the rearview mirror at our past. It's easy to run into a pole. Try to explain that to the policeman. Sir, I was just thinking of my past and whatnot. I wasn't looking forward, I was looking in the back and whatnot. Police are going to hand you a ticket, say you need a psychiatrist at the same time. Yeah, I was supposed to be on the road, not be thinking about your past mistakes. Amen. Praise God. I'm gonna give you 2 tickets.
Amen.
One is a good address to a good shrink, and one is for you to meet the judge, uh, next month. Amen. Praise God. Do you see what I'm saying?
Yes.
That make— that sin brings that condemnation. This is a form of death, and Satan takes advantage of it. That's why God says, hey, if you give your heart to me Become born again. Let Jesus receive the grace that Jesus offers. Receive the free gift of righteousness, meaning being in right standing with God. Once you accept that, hey, because now that I have received Christ, I'm in right standing with God. We see this with Apostle Paul. Apostle Paul said in the book of Acts, he said after he received his conversion and started walking with Christ, he said, I have not wronged no man. This man used to kill people. How can you make a statement that I've done wrong?
That's right.
He's living into the now and the new. He accepted the grace of God. He's accepted the gift of righteousness. That's why Apostle Paul could make that statement.
Wow.
I mean, that is just amazing. Apostle Paul had the gumption to say, hey, I got to take this thing of God. I wronged people, I put people in prison, I've killed people, and so on and whatnot. And now I can say, because I have accepted the grace of God, because I accepted the free gift of righteousness, I'm in right standing with God now. So I can say I've wronged no man with my new man, my new nature. I'm not living in the old nature. Amen.
Amen.
So now Apostle Paul went on in triumphing in life, written many of the letters of the New Testament came from Apostle Paul, the Pauline letters, as some people, some theologians call it. Amen.
Amen.
Very prestigious.
Yes.
Very sought after. Amen.
Amen.
Apostle Paul said, I got revelation from Jesus Christ himself.
That's right.
A murderer.
Yes.
A man putting— looking for Christians to put in jail.
Sure did.
Looking for them, had a zeal for it.
Yes, he did.
He wanted to do it. It was his desire to do it.
That's right.
But after he received Christ, After the new nature came, the new heart came, he can say, I have done no man wrong. Lord have mercy. I can't think of a better example of this right here related to this scripture. Now Apostle Paul is triumphing in life. Amen. We can see that for a man that's just coming out of prison Yes. Who's done wrong, who's robbed banks or robbed homes or whatnot, different residences, may have a temptation to feel guilty for that past.
Right.
But if that person will receive Jesus Christ and let God change him, let Christ change him, bring that condemnation away, he can have a new life and be a productive citizen again. Amen? Does that make any sense?
It does.
Number 4, living a life of the fear of God attitude places you in a position to receive unexpected deliverance and protection. I'll read that again. Amen. Living a life of the fear of God— this is one of the aspects— is giving you new benefit of being a citizen of the kingdom of heaven. Living a life of the fear of God attitude places you in a position to receive unexpected deliverance and protection. We're going to use for an example Jeremiah chapter 38. We're just tearing up Jeremiah this morning. Amen.
Amen.
Praise God, it's got good nuggets in Jeremiah. Jeremiah chapter 38, starting at verse 2. We're going to go to verse 13. Jeremiah chapter 38, starting at verse 2, going to 13, using the New Living Trans— New Living Translation, the NLT. Verse 2: This is what the Lord says: Everyone who stays in Jerusalem would die from war. This is Jeremiah giving a prophecy to the people in Jerusalem because they had rebelled against God and whatnot, so God was going to allow Babylon to take them over.
Yes.
Even in the book of Jeremiah, God called Nebuchadnezzar his servant.
Yes.
He said that there's going to be countries and whatnot that are going to bow to Babylon. To bow down to Nebuchadnezzar. Why? Because of their sin and their rebellion. God was using Babylon for— as a whipping board, as a board of correction because of the sin and rebellion that other countries were going into, especially Jerusalem and whatnot. Everyone who stays in Jerusalem will die from war, famine, or disease, but those who surrender to the Babylonians will live. Now this is Jeremiah saying this. Their reward will be life. He says if you surrender to Babylon, your reward will be life. They will live. Verse 3, the Lord also says the city of Jerusalem will certainly be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon, who will capture it. Verse 4, so these officials went to the king and said, sir, this man must die. That kind of talk will undermine the morale of the few fighting men we have left, as well as that of all the people. This man is a traitor.
Wow.
So you had these officials that were coming to the king at this time saying that, sir, the way that the prophet Jeremiah is talking around the community, talking around the town, That we need to surrender to Babylon, that's treasonous.
Yes.
We need to be able to stand up and fight.
Yes.
But Jeremiah is hearing from God.
Yes, yes.
It's an unpopular word at that time, but this, this man was in tune with God.
That's right, that's right.
He says, hey, because you lived in sin and rebellion and whatnot, you need to go ahead and surrender to Babylon. Your reward will be you'll live. Amen.
Yes.
So these officials went to the king and said— these officials went to the king and said, sir, this man must die. That kind of talk will undermine the morale of the few fighting men we have left, as well as that of all the people. This man is a traitor. Verse 5, King Zedekiah agreed. All right, he said. Do you do as you like. I can't stop you. And they took Jeremiah and put him in a cistern, a well that did not have water. It belonged to Malkijah, a member of the royal family. There was no water in the cistern, but there was a thick layer of mud at the bottom, and Jeremiah sank. Down into it. Verse seven. But Ebed Melek, the Ethiopian and important court official, heard that Jeremiah was in the cistern. A black man. Praise God! God used a black man to save the prophet. Amen. At at that time, the king was holding court at at the Benjamin Gate. So Ebed Melek. rushed from the palace to speak with him. My lord the king, he said, these men have done a very evil thing in putting Jeremiah the prophet into the cistern. He will soon die of hunger, for almost all the bread— for almost all the bread in the city is gone. So the king told Ebed-Melech, take 30 of my men with you. and pull Jeremiah out of the cistern before he dies. Now 30 is the number of maturity, so this was like a complete number that was needed to go with Ebed-Melech to go to the well, the cistern. They was protecting him, of course, in case any people wanted to stop the man from saving Jeremiah.
Amen.
These men were going to hold them back. It's like the personal guard for Ebed-Melech, the 30 people. Amen. The 30 men from the king.
Amen.
Take 30 men of my— 30 of my men with you and pull Jeremiah out of the cistern before he dies. So Ebed-Melech took the men with him and went to the room in the palace beneath the treasury where he found some old rags and discarded clothing. He carried these to the cistern and lowered them to Jeremiah on a rope. Ebed-Melech called down to Jeremiah, put these rags under your armpits to protect you from the ropes. Now that just makes perfect sense because the rope was going to be too coarse. It was going to maybe leave scars or bruises under his arms if he just had the rope pulling his weight up out of that mud because he was sinking in the mud. So the people are going to have to tussle and pull and pull to just get him clear from the mud.
Wow.
So that's going to be rope scars on his body, under his armpits from that pulling from an old man at this particular point. Amen.
Yes.
So that's why the common sense of sending those rags down, because he was putting those rags under his armpits and then putting the rope underneath those rags so that would help be a cushion.
Amen.
For when they start pulling them up out of that mud, it won't hurt so bad. Amen. Put these rags under your armpits to protect you from the ropes. Then when Jeremiah was ready, they pulled him out. So Jeremiah was returned to the courtyard of the guard, the palace prison, where he remained. What is the point of this right here? This is what we just read. Because Jeremiah had a lifestyle of the fear of God, God was there to deliver this man. Amen. And that's the point for us. This is just a few of the benefits that we're going to be discussing. We're going to be discussing more of being a kingdom.
Yes.
Being a citizen of the kingdom of God. Amen. Or the kingdom of heaven. Amen. Praise God. Pastor Pitts.
Amen. Thank you for looking at us on Facebook and YouTube and Twitter and commenting and subscribing on our videos. God bless you. We love you greatly. Tracy and I want to say that if you're in this area, both you and your family, or if you're just visiting, come by and shake our hands. Tracing on the leaders and Minister Ophelia, Pastor Keith. We'd love to meet you, shake your hands, hug your neck. And if you're looking for a good church, consider 514 Grace Church. We are a very solid ministry. We're just getting started, and God wants to do great things in this area, West Georgia. We're right here in Villa Rica, not that far from Atlanta, right outside of Douglasville. Look us up, call us, message us, and I tell you this: you will not be disappointed in Jesus' name. God bless you. Thank you guys for watching. We're not out of word. I want you to come back next week because Pastor Keith is going to continue part two of this series on the Kingdom of Heaven. God bless you, and we'll see you next time.
Yeah. Turn it up. Hands high, hearts loud. One name, one sound. Who we call? Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. Who still reigns? Jesus, Jesus. We shout one name. Jesus, Jesus. Chains snap when we call that name. We lift one name. Jesus, Jesus. Hell backs up when we praise. We shout one name.
