Being Expelled From The Kingdom of God

Good morning, Church! Before we dive into today’s message, let me start with a lighthearted story.

There was a little boy named Johnny who loved to play king in his backyard. He built a tiny castle out of cardboard and declared himself the king of his imaginary kingdom. He had a little sister, and he decided that he would expel her from his kingdom for the grave crime of stealing his chocolate cookies. But when lunchtime came around, he found out that his mom had entrusted the sandwiches to his little sister. Suddenly, Johnny’s kingdom didn’t seem so appealing without lunch!

Isn't it just like us? Sometimes we create imaginary kingdoms where we rule, but when the real necessities of life are needed, we find ourselves in a fix.

Our focus verse today is from 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (NIV) which says, "Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."

The Bible is clear that certain behaviors and choices can lead to us being expelled from the kingdom of God. This is a serious matter. Yet, it's not God's desire for anyone to be excluded. He is a God of love, grace, and forgiveness.

Consider the parable of the Prodigal Son. The younger son chose to live a life of sin, effectively expelling himself from his father’s kingdom. But when he realized his folly and returned, his father didn’t just take him back – he celebrated his return (Luke 15:11-32). This is a picture of God's heart for us.

We must also remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:21-23 (NIV), "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'"

Simply professing faith is not enough. Our lives must reflect our faith, and our actions should align with God's will. We shouldn’t find ourselves expelled from the kingdom because we've been too busy building our cardboard castles and ignoring the will of our Father.

In conclusion, we have a loving Father who desires for all His children to be part of His kingdom. Yet, He also requires us to live in a way that honors Him. Let's take this message to heart, examine our lives, and ensure that we're living in a way that's worthy of His kingdom. Amen.