The Millennial Kingdom – Sermon from The Best of Tony Evans 2021
It’s hard to imagine a world without any pain or chaos, and as much as humanity may try, it will never be able to achieve perfect peace. But Tony Evans wants you to know about a time that is coming where our world will become a flawless utopia under Christ’s governing. Learn more about the thousand-year rule of Jesus Christ and how your current walk with God will affect your role at that time.
do you know your answer could be sitting
right next to you but you’ll never know
it
until god is ready to reveal it
god says if you come back home you’ll
see
i haven’t gone anywhere
so you draw near to him and he will draw
near to you because he’s the one who’s
never left if you walk in the spirit or
walk by means of the spirit he will open
up the hole for you to get through
the snake is going to try to stare stuff
up the snake is gonna try to get you
away from god there is a serpent in the
garden and your job keep him out
sometimes he brings a little something
that’s a little cute to let you know
keep on going keep on trusting because i
hear you
[Music]
mankind has longed for utopia
paradise
you’ve seen it in tv and movies
where we long for a time
when the pain will end
when peace will reign
when problems
will go away
something has interrupted the dream of
utopia
it’s called sin
whether it’s your sin or somebody else’s
sin that affects you
or even the environment that has been
cursed
by sin
sin has disrupted
the possibility of utopia paradise
in fact
paul says in romans chapter 8
that the whole creation groans
under this curse
however
there is coming a time
when there will be utopia
and that time is coming in history
before we ever get to eternity
and we call it the millennium
the millennial rule of jesus christ
millennium means a thousand
let’s review
jesus raptures the church
seven years of tribulation
jesus comes back
to set up his millennial
kingdom
and so today i want to talk to you
about paradise
not heaven we haven’t gotten to heaven
yet
i’m talking about
history the thousand-year rule of jesus
christ
to understand this
you have to understand why this
thousand-year period of time must occur
when god created adam and eve he said
let them rule
we call it the dominion covenant
where man was going to rule on earth
as managers of god’s creation
that rule got interrupted by satan and
sin when adam and eve disobeyed god
leading to the deterioration of earth
life spans begin to decline
marital conflict entered in murder cain
kills abel the world becomes wicked the
whole world in genesis 6 has to be
destroyed by a flood
because
sin cursed the creation that man was
supposed to rule on behalf of god
because of the sin cycle there was no
man who god could use to oversee the
rule on earth so god became a man in the
person of jesus christ
in luke chapter 1 verses 31 to 33
we are told that mary the mother of
jesus gave birth to a son
who was to be
in the seed of david and who was to rule
on the throne of god
we know him to be jesus
he has redeemed the people for his
namesake called the church christians
there will be tribulation where god will
remove the church all hell is going to
break loose on earth as god’s wrath is
revealed for it will no longer be held
back because of the death of christ
christians during that seven year period
of time are going to be rewarded based
on their faithfulness now
so what you do now i’ll pick this up in
a moment will affect
what you get to do in the millennium
in the thousand-year rule of christ or
what you don’t get to do luke chapter 19
gives up one of the many illustrations
in the bible
of a person
who
based on their faithfulness
gained or lost reward
in the millennial kingdom
he says some will be over 10 cities some
will be over five cities
some will be over no cities because they
were unfaithful
during their earthly life here
all of this is setting the stage at the
return of christ when the bible says
christians will come back with him
for this
thousand-year rule of christ known as
the millennium
the reason the two reasons why the
millennium will be utopia
paradise
the bible even calls it a return to eden
ezekiel 36 35 a return to eden we get
back to what god originally designed
there are two reasons why this will be
paradise one
as we’ll say in a moment jesus will be
ruling
from jerusalem the capital of the whole
earth will be jerusalem
it’s the conflict of the whole earth
today it will be the capital of the
whole earth then jesus christ the bible
says will rule with a rod of iron in
other words there will be allowed to be
no rebellion
you and i based on our rewards will be
the people
who he
utilizes to make sure
his rule is exactly as he wants it to be
and nobody will be able to override you
because you have a glorified body
so you don’t have to worry about
rebellion against you because nobody can
overcome you
now who exactly will you be overseeing
in the millennium
well that is explained to us
in matthew chapter 25 verse 31-46
because in those verses at the end of
the tribulation god is going to separate
the sheep from the goat
that is the unrighteous gentiles the
goats from the righteous gentile
sheep it says the unrighteous gentiles
coming out of the tribulation will be
sent to eternal judgment and the
righteous gentiles coming out of the
tribulation
they’re going to go into the millennium
in their natural human bodies
so there’s going to be a whole earth
full of folk in natural bodies
while you and i
will be overseeing them in glorified
bodies so in our glorified bodies based
on the positions that we have earned
during our stay here in our natural
bodies will affect your assignment then
in your glorifying glorified bodies over
those who are in the millennium in their
natural bodies and i’ll prove to you in
a moment
how those natural bodies will function
but of course you and i are in a
glorified body and this will last for a
thousand years before we ever get to
eternity
so one reason is that jesus will rule
through the saints from the capital of
the world jerusalem when he returns
there is a second reason why why this
will be paradise
the second reason you read in the first
two verses of revelation 20 because it
says and satan will be bound for a
thousand years
satan will be bound so that he no longer
is able to deceive the nations
let me give you
let me give you a little uh
summary of satanic strategy it exists
today that’s why he has to be bound
and that is
deception
that he will no longer deceive the
nations anymore
the reason why we are messed up is
because we’ve been tricked
and because jesus will rule with a rod
of iron four thousand years
even if you want to rebel you won’t be
able to you will not be allowed to rebel
so so your rebellion you better keep it
to yourself
because in the in the millennium with
you and i as judges
and in various
relationships will be co-heirs the bible
says we will be co-er heirs with him
so
this will be the ultimate answer to the
lord’s prayer thy kingdom come thy will
be done on earth as it is in heaven
earth
will take on the look of heaven
so let’s get this straight
for 1 000 years
if you are a believer today
most of your time is going to be spent
on earth not in heaven
there will be an event that will lead
into the millennium
the judgment separation of sheep sheep
and goats
but leading into that is going to be a
wedding
look at chapter 19
verses 7 to 10.
let us rejoice and be glad and give
glory to him for the marriage of the
lamb
has come and his bride has made herself
ready it was given to her to clothe
herself in fine linen bright and clean
for the fine linen is the righteous acts
of the saints
then he said to me write blessed are
those who are invited to the marriage
supper of the lamb and he said to me
these are true words of god then i fell
at his feet to worship him but he said
to me do not do that i am a fellow
servant of yours and your brother who
hold the testimony of jesus worship god
for the testimony of jesus is the spirit
of prophecy
so everybody loves a wedding so let me
tell you about a wedding and because
this wedding involves you because you’re
the bride
see the bible calls the church the bride
of christ
so god uses this terminology to express
our relationship jesus is called the
bridegroom okay
so there’s going to be a wedding
to appreciate this you have to
understand
the oriental weddings
so let me tell you the oriental weddings
and then how it applies to us and then
how that applies to the millennium
in biblical days the wedding took on a
number of different parts
the first aspect of a wedding in
biblical times was the betrothal period
you and i would say engagement
but there was a big difference between
our engagement
and the biblical times engagement
because the biblical time engagement was
a legal contract
then there was
the marriage
okay
that would lead to
what we all are aware of and that is
the reception
you know what the reception is it’s a
party
jesus’s reception is going to last a
thousand years
they were being made ready for the
marriage supper of the lamb that’s the
reception
so there’s going to be a party
with jesus and his bride
and it’s going to happen on earth
even though you’re in a glorified body
and for 1 000 years
carrying out your responsibilities as
jesus’s bride you are going to be
in a wedding reception called the
marriage supper of the lamb
and you will be there
based on the level of your reward so
everybody won’t party equally
and in fact the scripture says
some
who are part of the wedding
will be in outer darkness
well when god plays your tape
at the judgment seat of christ
he’s only going to allow to stand what
he can use
what was done in his name for his glory
everything else will be discarded
and based on what’s left based on your
tape will determine how much partying
you get to do
at the party
or whether you just get to see other
folk having fun
who you didn’t think had that much going
for
okay
so that’s the wedding that’s the party
that’s the marriage stuff of the lamb
which is the millennial reign of jesus
christ
now
what will this kingdom
look like what will this earthly rule
before we get to the eternal rule what
will this look like what he’s saying is
the rule of god during this kingdom will
be so comprehensive it will be unlike
anything you’ve ever saw because even
animals will not be able to display
their nature of sin
not even animals not snakes not lions
not bears why because it says the
knowledge of god is going to rule all
the creation notice what you saw in the
passage a child
that’s because in the natural life is
going on people are still getting
married people are still having babies
because we’re not in heaven yet we’re
not in eternity yet we’re in the
millennial kingdom on earth where human
beings are still operating in their
natural bodies look at one other passage
isaiah 65.
in isaiah chapter 65 here’s what we read
he says beginning in verse 17
for behold i create a new heaven and new
earth and the form of things will not be
remembered or come to mind
but be glad and rejoice forever in what
i create for behold i create jerusalem
for rejoicing and her people for
gladness
i will also rejoice in jerusalem and be
glad in my people because jerusalem will
be the son of the whole earth and there
will be no longer be heard in her the
voice of weeping or the sound of crying
no longer will there be an infant who
lives but a few days or an old man who
does not live out his days for the youth
will die
at the age of
and the one who does not reach the age
of 100
will be thought accursed let me pause
right there
in other words if you died 100
you died young because you weren’t doing
right
so what he says is in the millennium
because it’s lasting a thousand years
if you die at a hundred so we’re not in
heaven yet because people still dying so
if you die at a hundred they say you
must have been judged for something
you must have done something wrong to
die so early
so you see it’s a whole different world
order how can folks live so long in
their natural bodies because there’s no
sin
there is no allowed sin no overt sin
because sin is what kills your young
the only reason that life’s man went
down is because of the increase of sin
but notice what he says as he goes on
here in chapter 65.
he says
in verse
21
they will build houses and inhabit them
they will also plant vineyards and eat
from their fruit they will
not build and another inhabit nobody’s
going to take your house from you
they will not plant in another eat
for as the lifetime of a tree so will
the days of my people be
and my chosen ones will wear out the
my chosen ones will wear out the work of
their hands they will not labor in vain
or bear children for calamity because
they’re bearing children natural bodies
for they are the offspring of those
blessed by the lord and their
descendants it will also come to pass
that before they call i will answer and
while they are still speaking i will
hear the wolf and the lamb will graze
together the lion will eat straw like
the ox
and dust will be the serpent’s food they
will do no evil or harm in all my holy
mountain says the lord
utopia
paradise
it says folks who go to work won’t hate
their jobs they will not labor in vain
in other words you’re gonna be happy to
go to work that’ll make you want to go
to the millennium right now you’re just
looking forward to tomorrow morning you
can’t wait
if you’re living during this time and
we’re in glorified bodies so everything
about us is a party
because god is going to fulfill the
destiny of man
psalm 2 talks about god was going to
rule through man psalm 8 talks about
god’s going to rule through man history
cannot be completed until within history
there is the rule of god through man
jesus christ his glorified saints over
mankind
that is the millennial kingdom
oh
but revelation 20 verse 7
says something very interesting
it says
when the thousand years are completed
satan
will be released from his prison
and will come out to deceive the nations
which are on are in the four corners of
the earth
so history’s not finished yet
after a thousand years
satan who’s been chained
and not allowed to deceive the nations
will be released
now why
if there has been no
evil allowed to to express itself
because while there will be no evil in
the millennium allowed to express itself
there will be evil in the hearts
so there will be rebellious hearts that
will not be free to express themselves
because if you express rebellion
at a hundred years old you died as a
curse
god’s not going to allow overt rebellion
in the millennium
but there will be hearts of rebellion
so satan is going to be released to
reveal those who have rejected god even
in utopia
and that shouldn’t surprise us because
many of us have raised our kids in a
very godly environment to watch them go
left
you know what i wasn’t i didn’t raise
you like that but you went left anyway
god’s going to give mankind a perfect
environment which shows
that you don’t need satan to show how
sinful you are
because satan’s going to be bound and
there’s still going to be sinful hearts
so with that satan is going to be
allowed to reveal those who rejected god
one final time before the white throne
judgment and the white throne judgment
is to determine how much hell you get
the whole point of god telling us
prophecy is for us to live now in light
of them
to live now
in light of the eternal future that we
have to make your decisions now
in light of then
for the bible says
that everyone will stand before the lord
and you must give an account
you won’t have a choice
you don’t get to say i i’m tied up
you will be forced into his presence
to give an account for your appreciation
of the free gift of salvation which he
will never take away
he’ll never take away the free gift of
salvation but he will take away rewards
and the bible says the pain you will
feel
when he takes away your reward he
describes it as weeping and gnashing of
teeth
that means profound regret
that i had no time for the lord
the disciples said teach us how to pray
our father wasn’t heaven hallowed be thy
name thy kingdom come okay and then he
said
thy kingdom come thy will be done on
earth as it is in heaven
but he told them to pray that now
so let me give you some news
god wants to give you some level of
kingdom experience
before he brings in his kingdom
worldwide
thy kingdom come but how do i get that
kingdom down here so i can taste it he
tells you thy will be done
you must live for the will of god
in order to taste the kingdom of god if
you’re not living for the will of god
god’s not going to let you taste
something that you have no interest in
but there’s some here
who’ve had a taste
we got a few here
you didn’t taste it that’s why the bible
says taste and see that the lord is good
he ain’t gonna give you all of it right
now
but he’ll put a little something
something on it put a little sugar on it
and let you go
where they cooking this where they
baking this it’s all up in the kingdom
but he’ll give you a taste now if you
are committed to his will
oh but i got to conclude with the rest
of the story
because in this world
and in this life
some of the tasting comes through the
crucible of suffering
now
i do not want to lie to you
the bible says all those who live godly
in christ jesus will suffer persecution
it’s not going to be all good all the
time if you’re a serious christian but
here’s what i will tell you whenever you
watch the super bowl
and the winning team
is on the field
there’s a
party they’re celebrating
they’re hugging
they’re crying
they’re rejoicing
they’re grabbing their families
but look real close
some of them got bloody arms
some of them got torn jerseys
all of them got dirty jerseys
in other words they didn’t been through
something
for three hours they didn’t been through
something
they didn’t been through some pain they
they’ve been hit they’ve been tackled
they’ve been blocked they didn’t been
through yeah there was some good stuff
but there may have been some fumbles
some dry passes and some offsides so
they made some mistakes they’ve been
hurt along the way but other folks who
are trying to hurt them they have been
through something but if you ask them at
the end of the game was it worth it even
though they have been through something
they will tell you yeah
cause i got a super bowl ring
i got a trophy
and i’m going to disneyland
so you hang in there
and you hang in there
cause god has got a ring for your finger
he’s got a trophy for your commitment
as you taste of the kingdom that is to
come
[Music]
[Music]
do you know
what you and every other kid in the
whole world share
all of you are made in the image of god
god’s special stamp is on all of you
the stamp says made by god of love
even though everyone in the world looks
different from each other
we are all equally made by god
some kids have dark skin some kids have
brown skin some kids have green eyes
some kids have brown eyes some kids have
curly hair some kids have straight hair
god made us different
we have diversity
but he also made us part of the same
family
we have unity
god loves all the the same and we should
all love each other to say
it all starts with you
that’s what god wants all of us to do to
love one another
you
amen