Kingdom Principles by Dr. Pete Norris

Today, on Power In The Word. I came that you might have life and have it more abundantly. Till it's running over, till you're succeeding in every area of your life. That we understand that kingdom that we're operating in, that we're living in. See, it's not a kingdom that you can see with your eyes. It's a kingdom that you become in your heart. And you have the manifestation of God on the earth. So when Jesus became the kingdom of God on the earth, and stepped out of death, you and I stepped out of death, and stepped out of time, and stepped out of situations, and stepped out of circumstances. Why? Because we were designed to come to this earth to manifest the kingdom on this earth. Welcome to Power In The Word. As believers, have we fully embraced the kingdom of heaven? And what it means to our everyday life? Well, today Dr. Norris shows us, in the word of God, how important it is to understand and operate in the kingdom of heaven. So you stay with us, be enlightened, be encouraged. We're going to be talking about kingdom principles tonight. And I want you to take your Bibles, and I want you to turn with me to Luke chapter 16, verse 16. And how many of you know that the kingdom of God's in us? Luke 17, 21. But we also got to realize, what is the kingdom made up of? You know, the kingdom is what? Peace, joy, and righteousness in the Holy Spirit, right? So we know that the kingdom of God is not an earthly thing. It's not a physical thing. It's a spiritual thing that you and I walk in, that you and I manifest on the earth. And so what I'm believing the Holy Spirit is saying to me is that it's time to manifest the kingdom of God out of us into the world. And when the world can grab hold of the kingdom,

they're going to only grab hold of the kingdom in me and you. So I want to go to Luke chapter 16, verse 16, and we're going to get going. The law and the prophets were until John. Now all of you know that from Adam, he lost all power and authority in the book of Genesis. All the way from Adam, all the way to Moses, all the way through Moses to John, it was about the law. The law and the prophets. Now, the first five books of the Bible, which is the Peditive, which is the first five books, is all about law. And then the next one talks about the minor prophets and the major prophets. That's all about the prophecy. But don't read things into the Old Testament. Prophecy, all the way from Joshua all the way to Malachi, is just about the announcement of the coming king. That's all it's about. The law came and the prophets are saying, hey, there's something coming greater. There's something coming greater. There's something coming greater. Who's that? Jesus. So they prophesied about Jesus all the time. We did a comparison last week where John the Baptist was compared to who? Elijah. And Elijah was compared to Jesus, and we run the Scriptures, and we showed the Scriptures, and we run the parallel. Well, today we're going to pick up on that. Since that time, since that time, since what time? John was the end of the law, and Jesus was the beginning of grace and the new covenant. There was no new covenant without Jesus, right? Because until the testator dies, you don't need a testament, right?

So up until John, it was the law and it was the prophets. And John, the Bible said, was the greatest of all of them, right? But let's go on and read the rest of this text. Since that time, the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it. In other words, he's saying, now we're not going to preach the law anymore. We're going to not let the prophets come forth anymore. We're going to bring forth the kingdom of God. And somebody's going to be bringing forth that kingdom. Who's that king going to be? A king is going to bring forth the kingdom. To have a kingdom, you've got to have a king. Amen? That's why the Bible says he's made us kings and priests, right? Ruling and reigning. Revelation 1-6, Revelation 5-10. You and I are kings and priests on this earth, right? So are we operating that kingdom? We're not operating an earthly kingdom. We're operating a heavenly kingdom. So he said, up until this time, all this has been preached. Now it's time to preach the kingdom of God, and everyone is pressing into it. Now, go to Matthew chapter 11, verse 11. Surely I say to you, among those born of woman there was not risen one greater than John the Baptist. Now, I want you to get a hold of something. John the Baptist, no one's ever been born of a woman that has risen one greater than John the Baptist. Nobody's ever been born greater than John the Baptist, right? But, he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. Now, I want you to see something here. The kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God, same thing. It's not about two separate places, two separate times. Matthew talks about the kingdom of heaven. Mark and Luke talk about the kingdom of God. Luke 17-21, where's the kingdom? In us.

So we operate in the kingdom. Jesus said, I come to bring, and to bring, and to bring the kingdom. He said, repent, for the kingdom of God is where? At hand. Now look at verse 12. And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. Now stop right there, because this thing, this scripture right here has been preached completely out of context. Now read it. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. How many of y'all have you heard, We need to take it by force, brother. We need to rise up and take it by force because heaven is suffering violence and we need to take it by force. He said this is the way it was up until John the Baptist, but now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the kingdom takes it by force until now, until now, until now. But we don't have to do that anymore. Look at verse 13. For all the prophets and all the law prophesied until John came. Now what happened when John came? John died. He was beheaded, right? For what purpose? So the end of the law and the beginning of the new covenant. Now Jesus was the beginning of a new covenant. Why? Because we got to understand something here. When the priesthood changed, the law had to change. All the priesthood was out of what tribe? Levitical priesthood, right? Jesus came out of the tribe of Judah. So it had to change. So when the law was descended and done away with through John the Baptist, they cut his head off to end the law, end authority, end the power, and Jesus come on the scene, right? But now no one has been greater than John the Baptist until the kingdom of heaven come. And then one least

in the kingdom is greater than John the Baptist, right? So if we understand that, the prophecy and the prophetic was only foresight of what was coming, a king. We've taken the Old Testament and made a history book. It's not a history book. It's all about Jesus coming. It's all about Jesus coming. It's all about Jesus coming. He was coming in the manifest the body. Same reason me and you've been coming. They've been prophesied us we coming. We've been coming a long time for what? To invade a body on the earth. How can I go here? I don't know if you're ready for this. You were in heaven. You decided to come to earth. You chose to come. Okay? You were chosen for such a time as this. Jeremiah 29 and 11. I know the thoughts I have for you, they're good, and I have a good end and a good expected time for you. So he's planning these things. He's been calling you to come. For what? The Bible said in the book of Hebrews he'd prepared a body beforehand for you to invade. So you've been coming for a long time to invade that body. You were not an accident. You were destined. And you begin with a seed the same way that he began. Now watch what he told Mary. An angel of the Lord come to Mary and said, you're bringing forth for the Son of Man a calling named Jesus. And he said, that's impossible. I've never been with a man. But at thy word. Now it's singular there. At thy word. The Bible says in Luke 8 and 11 that the word of God is a seed. So that word that you were before you ever got here was a word spoken before time that manifested in the earth, that prepared a body for that you stepped into that body. Now that body is so you operate and have authority on the earth. Without a body you can't have authority on the earth. When Jesus come back after the resurrection he had no authority on the earth. He couldn't do one single mirror because it's illegal to

function on earth without a body. The devil can't function on earth without a body. That's why the Bible said he possessed Judas. Remember the story? You've got to understand that the law and the prophet was designing for something coming. They were prophesying me and you were coming. Now go to Malachi chapter 4 verse 5 and we're fixing to get in some good stuff here and it's going to help you understand grace and what Jesus really done for you. Now look what he said in Malachi. Now you know this is the end of the book. This is the last book in the Old Testament. And for over 400 years he didn't speak to anybody for 430 years. You know the story between Malachi and Matthew there was darkness and heaven was closed up for 420 years. And then when Jesus come in to baptize the heavens were open and it descended upon him like a dove. My goodness. And all of a sudden he said this is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased. He hasn't spoke now in 430 years. But look what he said in the very last scriptures of Malachi. Behold I'm going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. Now wait a minute. Elijah was gone. So he's going to send it back. How many of you know William Brannan used to think he was Elijah. That tells you William Brannan didn't understand the new covenant. Verse 6. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to their fathers least I come and strike the earth with a what? Now watch this. I want you to get this. So he said I'm going to send back Elijah. Now all of us know that's John the Baptist, right? He's going to send John the Baptist to the earth. And then what's going to happen? He's going to turn the hearts of the father to the children and the hearts of the children to the father. How many of you know under the old covenant there was no such thing as a father.

God couldn't be a father to anybody. That's why John 14 and 6 says I'm the way the truth and life. No one comes to the father except by the son. So Jesus was the only one that could ever bring us back to fatherhood and sonship. See we don't understand sonship. Because the Bible said in Galatians chapter 3 that creation will be crying out for the sons of God to be revealed. You and I are some kind of something. But we haven't grabbed that because our mentality of thinking is back left in the church. But we're coming out of the church. You hear me? We're coming out. We're coming out with revelation and power and authority like never before. Jesus said I come with power and authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions and act in... Luke chapter 10 verse 19, you and I are absolutely full of power. Look at somebody say I'm full of power now. Now we read Malachi here, he said he said that he's going to turn the sons to the father and the father back to the sons. So it's going to be father-son relationship. Now you couldn't have that under the old covenant. He was a God but he never was a father. You gotta hang on. So let's go to Matthew chapter 11 verse 14. Now we read 11, 12, and 13. Now let's read 14. And if you're willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. Now who's he talking about here? He's talking about John the Baptist. Because Elijah is like Jesus and Elijah is John the Baptist. Now let's go on here. It's going to be a beautiful picture, beautiful picture, just a beautiful picture. Go to Luke chapter 1 verse 17. He also shall go before him in the power and the spirit of Elijah to turn the hearts of fathers to children and the disobedience of the wisdom of the just to make ready a people prepared for the what? Now let's stop right there. He will also go before him in the spirit of power. Who's he talking about? John the Baptist.

And he'll turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedience of the wisdom of the just to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. So what's going to happen? John is going to be a forerunner that's going to usher in the one that's going to bring this father-son relationship which is Yahweh, Jesus. Turn to someone and say it's Jesus. It's all about Jesus. It's all about Jesus. Let's go to Matthew chapter 3 verse 1, 2 and 3. In these days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judah. Now look at verse 2, comma there. And saying repent for the kingdom of heaven is where? He said the kingdom of heaven is standing right before you man. I'm right here. I'm standing right before you. I'm standing here before you. I'm in heaven but I'm on earth. See we don't understand that. That's over our abilities. Let's go to verse 3. And listen now, watch this, this is powerful. And this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah saying the voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord, make his pass what? So who was crying? Be careful what you say now. Who was crying? This is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah saying he was the voice of the one crying in the wilderness. Now do you remember that word voice? He was the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Now go to Isaiah chapter 40 verse 3. Isaiah prophesied what was coming. John was coming and Jesus was coming. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a straight way for our God. Now look at verse 4. Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and every hill brought low. The crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth.

Look at verse 5. The glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. So he said John the Baptist is preparing and telling you to get ready for the king's coming. The king's coming to step into a whole new kingdom, to bring in a whole new kingdom which is the kingdom of God. And so that kingdom of God now was living inside of Jesus and he brought heaven from heaven down to earth and put heaven in people's hell. And he said now you don't have to go through that stuff anymore because I'm going to restore you back to a father-son relationship. I'm going to restore you back to a son and a father relationship. It's not going to be a God way out there anymore. I'm going to live in you and you're going to live in me. We're going to be one and we're going to have a covenant. And that's why the Bible says in Colossians chapter 2 verse 9, we're the Godhead in bodily. And then verse 10 says we're complete in Him, man. We're absolutely the Father, Son, the Holy Spirit and us. We're all one wrapped up in unison and that's what Jesus come to do is to put us and release us and place us inside of Him so that we can walk in the power and authority of the kingdom principles. And now that kingdom is living inside of me. You and I are walking around as kings and priests and don't understand it. Because we don't understand the kingdom. There's not a shortage in the kingdom. There's nothing lacking in the kingdom. The kingdom of God is inside of you. You got all that. Listen, you got more than enough on the inside of you. You just don't know what to do with it. But I'll tell you, it's kind of like if you'll feed it, it'll come alive. Anything you feed is going to get bigger. Luke 24, and he said to them, O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken. Now you know what was going on here. This was Jesus after the crucifixion.

He was coming back on the road to Emmaus and he met these two dudes. Now some people believe there was two disciples. I can't answer that. I'm not going to try to even try to. But 26, let's go on. Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory? Now look at verse 27. And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded to them in all the scripture things concerning himself. So now, you know what happened here. He's walking on the road to Emmaus. He meets these two guys and he began to, beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded on them. to them all the scripture things concerning themselves. So they're walking along and here's Jesus walking along with two guys and the Bible said that their hearts had been constrained and their eyes had been closed to where they couldn't see what was going on. I'm not talking about physical eyes, I'm talking about spiritual eyes. They didn't recognize who they were walking with. And as they're walking along, He's telling them all about from Moses with the first five books all the way through the prophets and He's explaining Himself in every scripture. And the Bible said they get to the house and they constrain Him and keep Him and want Him to stay all night. And so they begin to break bread and have communion together and all of a sudden their eyes were opened and the Bible said He vanished. Now watch this, I want you to get this, because then they turn and say you know what, it was amazing, our hearts burned when this guy spoke. See, if your heart ain't burning when you, if people's hearts ain't burning that you're talking to, you probably ain't saying much. I want to go to Matthew chapter 17 and I'm going to show you some things in the Spirit that I believe the Holy Spirit has spoken to me. And I want you to see this right now because I really think it's going to help you understand the kingdom of God and His principles.

And I think we can take these scriptures right here in the Transfiguration and we can see the church today. And after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John. Now Peter, James, and John means what? The law's been replaced by grace. Peter is the law, James is replacement, and John is grace. His brother led them up onto a high mountain by themselves. So He led them up onto a high mountain, this is Jesus. He's leading them up to a high mountain by themselves. Now look at verse 2. And as He was transfigured before them, His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And so He takes them up and He's transfigured. Now I want you to understand something here. The, the Holy Spirit spoke to me last night and He said something to me. He said, now Pete, do you understand the difference in transfiguration and transformation? And I said, Lord, I don't. He said, well look them up. I mean, you know, transfigure means something changes externally. Transformation is something changes internally. So He said, this is not a transformation, Pete, this is a transfiguration. And before them, the face shone like a sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. In other words, they externally saw the glory of what was coming. In other words, listen to me, my people. The Bible said the Holy Spirit is going to be in us and upon us. It was never been able to be seen on anybody ever before until it's on the inside of you. It can never manifest outside of you. Now, the Spirit came upon people and it was for service to the King, the Prophet, and the priest. It would come upon them for service, but it was never externally being able to be seen. Now, the Bible said that the glory of the Lord fell upon Him and His face shone like the sun and His clothes became as white as snow.

Now, what happened? The transfiguration took place externally so it could see the glory of what they were going to become. He said, so now when you look at me, you see a reflection of yourself because what I am you shall be. The Bible says that, that you and I will be exactly as He is. I believe it's in 1 John 4, 17. You and I exactly shall be as He is on the earth. As He is now, we shall be on the earth. What is He talking about? The glory. Now, look at verse 3. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, appeared to them, appeared to them talking with Him. In other words, all of a sudden Jesus is sitting on this mountain and everything's about to change and He transfigures right before Him and all of a sudden they see Moses and Elijah standing right beside Him talking to Him. What do you think they were saying? What do you think Moses and Elijah were saying? What were they talking about? What do you think they were talking about? See, here's what I think He was telling them. I think He was looking at them and He was talking to them and He said, your assignment's been fulfilled. I'm here now. Now, watch this. This is powerful. Look at verse 4. And Peter answered and said, Lord, is it good for us to be here? And then church came out of Peter. Then Peter got churchy. If you wish, I'll build three tabernacles. The church loves to build something on death. You know, back in the day we put the church right in the middle of a graveyard. So Peter said, Lord, do you want me to build three tabernacles? One for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah? You want me to build one based on the law? You want me to build a church based on the grace? You want me to build a church based on the prophets? You want me to build three tabernacles, God? I'll build three tabernacles if you want to. See, some people build a church on anything.

But you ain't never going to build a church on something dead. So Peter was looking to build a house on dead stuff. Because the law and the prophets had been fulfilled. He didn't come to destroy them, he came to fulfill them, right? Now, stay with me. While he was speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them. And suddenly a what? Oh my Lord. they heard a voice that came out of the cloud, and this voice said, this is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased, hear him, hear him, don't hear them, hear him, this is my... who's speaking? He said what? Hear him. Now look at verse 6, and when disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid, when they heard it. Verse 7, and Jesus came and touched him and said, arise and don't be afraid. Who touched him? He wasn't talking. God was talking. He came over and touched him and said, don't be afraid. You know who that voice is, don't you? The Father can talk through the Son now, and he's telling you to listen to me, because I'm the kingdom. In other words, Peter, buddy, you're trying to build something dead, and everything's fixing to go away except what you need. Now look at verse 8, he went over and touched him, now watch this, and when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. Now, no one is very important. The Bible says nobody has seen God, but yet he that ascended to the Father, and he that came down from the Father. Now watch this, when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. The law and the prophet had disappeared, and now we only need one tabernacle. Now, he didn't build a tabernacle for Jesus, because the Bible says in the book of Hebrews that me and you are that holy place that he's going to dwell forever. He's going to dwell forever. Look at verse 9, and as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, tell this vision to no one, that's the same no one that was right up there above, that no one's ever seen him, until the Son of Man, until the Son of Man is risen from the dead. Now, how many of you know when he resurrected, he was no longer the Son of Man, he was the Son of God. Now, look at verse 10, stay

with me just a minute, and his disciples asked him, saying, what then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first? Look at verse 11. Jesus answered and said to them, indeed, Elijah is coming first, and will restore all things. And Jesus answered them, indeed, Elijah is coming first, and will restore all things. Who is Elijah? John the Baptist, because the end of John the Baptist was fulfillment that Jesus was going to fulfill all things. Now, look at verse 12. But I say to you that Elijah has already, he's come already, and they did not know him, but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise, the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands. He said, you don't understand, guys, Elijah's already been. Now, I'm fixing to shake your cage. There's a whole lot of people looking for things to happen that's already happened. And they were looking for Elijah to come, and Elijah was already come through John the Baptist, but they didn't understand. Now, look at verse 13. Then the disciples understood that he spoke to them of John the Baptist. Guys, come on. We've got to understand that the anointing of Jesus in our lives is unimaginable. You and I have been sent down for such a time as this to invade a body, earthly body. He took Jesus, brought him down here in the seat of a little 15-year-old girl and gave him a body and manifested. That's what Adam lost everything, Jesus got everything back. And everything that had been lost in Adam all the way through the law with the first five books, which means a penitent, then the next books which represent the law, the prophets, all this was speaking of the Messiah was coming. He was coming. He was coming. He was coming. Guys, you've got to understand. The Bible said, I came that you might have life and have it more abundantly. The thief come to steal, kill, and destroy, but I came. I came that you might have life and have it more abundantly, till it's running over, till you're succeeding in every area of your life. Do we understand that kingdom that we're operating in, that we're living in? See, it's not a kingdom that you can see with your eyes. It's a kingdom that you become in your heart, and you have the manifestation of God on the earth. So when Jesus became the kingdom of God on the earth and stepped out of death, you and I stepped out of death, and stepped out of time, and stepped out of situations, and stepped out of circumstances. Why? Because we were designed to come to this earth to manifest. the kingdom on this earth. I want you to go with me to Matthew chapter 5 verse 17. Do not think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I did not come to destroy, I come to fulfill them. What did he tell John about it? He said, John, if you don't baptize me it's not going to fulfill the righteousness. Look at verse 18. For surely I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away

one thought or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. What's he talking about here, heaven and earth is going to pass away? He's talking about the old covenant, guys. The burning up of the elements in the book of Peter is not talking about God's going to burn the earth up with fire. He's talking about he's going to burn the law up and destroy the law and fulfill the law in Christ Jesus, our hope of glory. Say amen. Look at verse 19. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Now look at verse 20. I say to you that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Guys, listen to me very carefully. He is not saying here you're not going to heaven. He said you're not going to enter the kingdom if you don't understand the righteousness of who you are. In 2 Corinthians 5.21, him whom you know sin became sin that you and I might become the righteous of God. Guys, you're not righteous because what you do right. You're righteous because he made you right. Not because anything you've done. It's because of everything he's done. As he told me, he said unless the righteousness exceeds the righteousness. The scribes and the Pharisees based on what they've done. But Isaiah says our righteousness is as filthy rags. Now the kingdom principle is we understand who we are in that kingdom and we manifest that kingdom and stop playing around with dead stuff. The law heals and destroys. It's called the law of condemnation and the law of death. It destroys. But you and I have the law of life in Christ Jesus and we've been delivered from the law of death

and sin. Amen? See guys, sin is no longer a part of our vocabulary because we understand the kingdom. Jesus didn't come just to earth to deliver you of your sins. He came to give you life and life more abundantly. Listen, if he just gave you your sins, that wouldn't be no big deal. But on the third day, he resurrected out of death and stood up out of death and said I'm fully alive. See, that's all the glory of the Lord is. Is man fully alive in Christ Jesus. Understanding the manifestation of who we are in Christ. Father, in the name of Jesus, we just thank you tonight for the opportunity of your word and your truth. We thank you for the anointing of the Holy Spirit and Lord, we thank you right now that this word is settling in our hearts and we're acting on this word and walking this word out in Jesus' name. And everybody say it. Amen. God bless you. Thank you for joining us today at Power in the Word. All of us here at Harvest Fellowship Church want you to know that God is not mad with you, but he loves you so very much and he has a plan for your life. Please feel free to contact us here at Harvest Fellowship Church at our website HarvestFellowshipChurch.net. So until next week, please remember, there's power in the word.