01 The Heavenly King of a Heavenly Kingdom (John 18:36)

On Friday, October 18, 2024, Dr. Alan Strange opened the 2024 DFW Reformation Conference with his first of three lectures, "The Heavenly King of a Heavenly Kingdom" (John 18:36)

Summary: Christ is a heavenly, not an earthly, king (though impacting all earthly kingdoms), and his church is a spiritual kingdom that must distinguish itself from the world even as it gives itself to the world.

Outline: I. The nature of Christ's kingship A. Seen even in his humiliation 1. He entered that estate in the Virgin's womb. 2. He performed great miracles even in that estate. 3. His kingship was obscured in that estate. B. Its obscurity pertains to the nature of his kingship, which is spiritual. 1. This spiritual kingship baffles Pilate. 2. Jesus is clearly, as a heavenly king, a king of a different sort. II. The nature of Christ's kingdom A. It is a kingdom befitting its king--it is no of this world. 1. It is in the world, indeed. 2. Wherever Christians go, so goes this kingdom. B. The kingdom is not exhausted by but manifests itself especially in the visible church. 1. The power of the church is ministerial and declarative, moral and suasive, not magisterial and legislative, legal and coercive. 2. Here, you have a proper doctrine of the spirituality of the church.