Bigger than You Think

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This sermon is the fourth one in a series of messages on the Kingdom of God. This message speaks about the growth and expansion of God's Kingdom around the world.

Written Excerpts:

Mark 4:26-29 ^(NKJV) And He said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."

Matthew 13:31-33 ^(NKJV) Another parable He put forth to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches." Another parable He spoke to them: "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened."

Introduction:

We’ve been looking at various Scriptures that relate to the kingdom of God. We have been talking about some of the different ways the kingdom is described and what that means for us as we try to bring our lives into harmony with kingdom principles.

Today we continue by looking at three brief parables that describe the advancement of God’s kingdom.

Have you ever been amazed by the phenomenal growth of something that seemingly had very humble beginnings?

I did a casual search on the internet recently looking for large corporations that had very small starts. It shouldn’t have surprised me, but it seems like most, if not all, major companies in our economy today had very small and insignificant beginnings. I can’t tell you how many different corporations got started in someone’s garage!

In some cases, the small start-up companies were predicted to fail, or at least stay much smaller. For example, Thomas Watson, Chairman of the Board of IBM in 1943 said, “I think there is a world market for about five computers.”

In the lessons that we’re going to look at today, Jesus seems to be telling us that the Kingdom of God is much the same way – small beginnings, but very large ending with phenomenal results.

I would like to take a little time to review each parable, then analyze them together to gain some insight and inspiration for our spiritual benefit.

I.    Reviewing the Parables

There are a few things I want to point out in these stories that are of special interest.

A. Parable of the Growing Seed

There are a few comparisons between this parable and the parable of the sower which is recorded at the beginning of the chapter, although they are not to be understand as the same thing. In the “parable of the sower” the main point is the condition of the soil. Perhaps it could even be called “the parable of the soils.” In this story, the main point is what the seed does in the soil.

In both stories, the seed is the Word of God. The word, “earth” in this parable corresponds to the “good soil” in the earlier parable.

Lenski New Testament Commentary - In the [earlier] parable the sower is Christ, and we may take it that in this parable "a man" who casts seed on the earth is again Christ. But some feel a difficulty in thinking that Christ sleeps and rises night and day and does not know how the seed grows. [But the difficulty is removed if we understand that] … Jesus … is … compar[ing] himself to “a man” who scatters his seed and trusts that seed to grow of its own power. Of course, the fact that he commissions the sickle, namely in the judgment, seems quite in order [with Christ’s authority and role].

Once the seed gets into the “good soil” then it does what seeds were designed to do. It grows, and grows, and changes and produces…

Is. 55:11 ^(NKJV) So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

A single seed becomes a plant then the plant produces fruit. The seed sown in the field becomes a field of grain. It grows and produces until time for the harvest (the end of time.)

Tyndale Commentaries - … it illustrates the nature of the reign of God in the human heart: it suggests the Christian doctrine of ‘growth in grace’ (2 Pet. 3:18); and it inculcates a continued trust in God, who will give a harvest in due time (Gal. 6:9 and Phil. 1:6).

Philippians 1:6 ^(NKJV) being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

B. Parable of the Mustard Seed

One writer (Tyndale Commentary) explains that the growth of the kingdom was still difficult for the disciples to grasp, but they were all familiar with the mustard seed.

Lenski New Testament Commentary - In this parable we again have a seed, not of wheat or barley as [implied] in the preceding parables, but of the mustard plant... The kingdom is like a kernel of mustard because, like it, the rule of Christ's grace among men has a phenomenal growth from the tiniest beginning….

This parable pictures the kingdom in its visible growth. A number of thoughts are directly involved and necessarily implied. The entire power of this kingdom is divine. It is a living organism, and its life and its power are undying—all other growths of earth have the germs of decay and death in them

This particular plant starts out as one of the smallest seeds and grows into a rather large bush/small tree. But it is big enough for the birds of the air to find shelter and rest.

God’s kingdom on earth starts out very small and insignificant – a single baby born in Bethlehem, visited by despised shepherds; grows into adulthood and gathers a small band of followers from different backgrounds; but has grown literally around the entire world – impacting people of all nations and all kinds of socio-economic status and political power.

C. Parable of the Leaven

I remember when I was very young I used to read this parable or hear it read and think that it was talking about a person trying to hide something but it becomes visible or known anyway. No, it is about the baker intentionally putting leaven or yeast into the meal so that it will permeate the whole batch and cause a reaction to take place that will ultimately change the whole batch.

Lenski New Testament Commentary - Leaven or yeast … is used extensively in an evil sense to portray something that corrupts. Jesus uses it thus in Luke 12:1…. It is impossible to use leaven in this sense when picturing the kingdom. This time leaven pictures the good power of Christ's rule of grace which secretly yet effectively produces its beneficent results.

Just like yeast changes the composition of the meal so that it expands and can be baked into delicious bread, so the kingdom of God expands and permeates the world and changes its composition.

Lenski New Testament Commentary - Here again ye see divine power; again it is wholly spiritual, and, while it operates altogether invisibly, produces any number of tangible effects, every one of them being wholesome. The gospel cannot but succeed, and the one work of the church is to preach, teach, and spread it in the world. The parable teaches faith, patience, hope, and joy.

II.  Analyzing the Parables

Traits about all three of the parables.

A. Paltry Beginning

In all three of these parables, the beginning is small. A small seed(s) in two of them and small amount of leaven or yeast in the third one.

None of these, in themselves, seems very significant.

B. Phenomenal Growth

In all three stories, there is incredible growth.

Seed, plant, ear, harvest (implied whole field ready to harvest).

Seed, growth into tree.

Leaven, penetrates, permeates and profoundly affects the whole.

Sometimes we fall back on Jesus’ teaching about the narrow road and the broad road to reinforce our idea that the kingdom of God will not be that big. (Strait is the gate and narrow is the way… and few there be… wide is the gate and broad is the way… and many there be…) The number is few in comparison to broad way vs. many in comparison to the narrow way, but consider these verses about the numbers in heaven:

Rev. 5:11 ^(NKJV) Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands,

Daniel 7:9-10 ^(NKJV)  "I watched till thrones were put in place, And the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, And the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, Its wheels a burning fire; A fiery stream issued And came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, And the books were opened.

C. Praiseworthy Result

Whole field of ripened grain ready to harvest for the good of many, many people.

Large bush/tree for the benefit of man and birds.

Large batch of dough ready to provide food for the hungry.

III. Applying the Parables

A. Do not despise the little things. Planting of the seed (God’s Word) is simply that. There are a lot of little things we can do to plant a little seed. (The seed is truly planted by the Lord, but He uses us (His people) to spread the seed (Word)).

 Sometimes I have found myself neglecting the little things I can do just because I’m convinced that what I can do won’t really matter.

B. Learn to trust God for the development and growth of the seed that has been planted.

1.  This doesn’t remove our responsibility to pray for the development and pray for success, etc.

2. It doesn’t eliminate our responsibility to counsel, teach, disciple, etc. But it does relieve us of the responsibility of effectiveness.

3.  It doesn’t mean we can be shoddy and half-hearted in our effort, but we only do what we can do.

4. It does relieve us of any anxiety about how my efforts to plant the seed and spread the Word will work out. It’s not my responsibility.

5.  Illustrated by ways that God uses the most unlikely things to ultimately increase the kingdom. God is working in ways we would never imagine.

C. Give God the glory for the triumph of His kingdom wherever it spreads, which is all through the world.

Conclusion:

The Kingdom of God is WAY bigger than we think!

Let’s close the service by singing the hymn:   Little Is Much When God Is in It

Faith When It's Dark

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This is a message that was given as our congregation was reeling from the tragic deaths of an elderly couple in our church who perished in an automobile accident this past week.

Written Excerpts

Hebrews 11:1-3 ^(NKJV) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

It might be easier to understand the last phrase of that verse if we say it like this, “The things which are visible were made from things that are invisible.”

Someone has said something like this, “Faith is not really faith until it has been tested in the dark.”

If it is the middle of the day, the sun is out and I can readily see all my surroundings, it is pretty easy to tell if I’m on the right road and if my path is obscured or open. But in the dark, it requires a lot more trust and faith to walk the path I’m on when I cannot see all my surroundings.

The same principle is true in our spiritual walk.

Some reminders about faith:

1. Faith is an unwavering conviction in the reality of the unseen.

v. 1  faith is (=) substance of things hoped for and the evidence of the unseen.

“substance” – the very essence of something; basic composition of a thing; or its reality.

“Evidence” – that by which something can be proved; normally a legal term.

The Hebrew writer is saying that faith is the inner conviction that the things which cannot be seen, because they are in the realm of thoughts and ideas, are real nonetheless.

For some people, it may seem like I’ve just described a fantasy, a dream or an imagination. But, it becomes true faith when it passes from the realm of fantasy and wild imagination into the realm of conviction; to the point of being willing to “stake my life on it.”

It has reached the point of a conviction that I am willing to stake my life on when it becomes the basis for choices and decisions that will affect my future well-being.

When the Bible tells us that God called Abraham and he left his kinfolk and his home to go to a place he didn’t physically know existed, Abraham’s faith became a conviction that caused him to make a life-changing decision. It caused him to make a decision that affected the entire course of his life and his descendants’ lives.

When the Bible tells us that we are spiritually lost and headed for hell without hope, and it tells us that Jesus Christ came for the purpose of dying in our place so we do not need to be lost, and it tells us that we can be saved and live eternally with God, those are all ideas or propositions that require belief or faith that will produce a response using a deliberate choice.

We choose to accept those propositions as more than wild imaginations and fantasy, but truths and realities. We make decisions throughout our lives that we have not only staked our futures on, but we have staked our eternal destiny upon as well.

2. If faith is linked to realities that we cannot see but we’re choosing to stake our whole life and eternal destiny on, then that same faith can sustain us when all the outward, visible things seem contrary.

In other words, “We’re in the dark.”

Faith is what enabled Job to say, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.”

We know that Job was confused and even angry about what all was happening to him and his family. We certainly know that Job was kept “in the dark” about how and why the things were happening the way they were. But in spite of all his doubts, questions, and anger, he still is remembered for saying: “The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord.” And, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him.”

Conclusion:

Someone has said, “The teacher is always silent during a test.”

When God seems silent, when it seems we’re walking in the dark, and when our world has caved in around us, let’s make a commitment to keep trusting in God. Amen?

Let’s sing the chorus listed in our bulletin, My Faith Still Holds  

What's It Worth to You?

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This is the third sermon in a series of messages on the Kingdom of God. This message speaks about the infinite value of God's Kingdom and about the sacrifice we must make in order to enter the Kingdom.

Written Excerpts:

Matthew 13:44-46 ^(NKJV) "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

Introduction:  If any of you are consumers of reality TV you may be familiar with American Pickers, which is an American reality television series on the History channel. Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz travel the back roads of America looking to buy “rusty gold.”

I don’t think I’ve ever seen this show, but I assume by the descriptions I’ve read that these men hope to discover and acquire some rare hidden treasure in someone’s pile of junk that will end up being worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

I had a friend over in Ohio named Larry that liked to dabble in antiques or anything he thought could be turned into a profit. One of his areas of interest was antique postcards. He told me one time about stopping at a roadside antique shop in a small town where he was able to buy a shoe box of postcards for only $5. That shoe box of several hundred postcards contained 50 old postcards with Coca Cola advertisements on the front of them. Larry was offered $500 for those 50 postcards. He did not sell, and later discovered in an appraisal catalog that the cards had a potential value of $50 each or $2500!

These stories highlight the fact that it is not unusual for people to discover they have a valuable treasure which they acquired quite by accident and with very little investment.

Our Scripture lesson for today’s message is about two cases in which a person finds a rare treasure of inestimable value and proceeds to sell off all his possessions in order to acquire the invaluable treasure. Jesus tells the stories to describe what the Kingdom of God is like for the person who truly understands its value.

Transition: Today I want to discuss these two very brief parables told by Jesus in order to learn more about the Kingdom of God, which we had started exploring a few weeks ago.

I.    Parable background settings

Lenski New Testament Commentary - The practice of hiding great treasure, such as gold and jewels, was far more frequent in ancient days, especially in the East, due to war, changes of rulers, and the like. Trench reports that men of wealth often divided their wealth into three parts: one for doing business, another part converted into precious stones with which to flee, if necessary, a third part to be buried in a safe place. Thus it could happen that someone died, and with that all trace of the buried hoard was lost until by accident another stumbled upon it. That is the situation in this parable.

Tyndale Commentaries - Valuables such as coins or jewels were often hidden in a jar in the earth (cf. 25:25, the parable of the talents), and discoveries of such treasure trove were a favorite theme of popular stories.

The man who found the treasure was probably a laborer working the field for the owner, who probably would not have known of the buried treasure. He re-hides the treasure with the anticipation of doing whatever is necessary to acquire it. In order to acquire the field with the treasure he must sell everything he owns. But he does so with JOY!

The next parable…(v.45-46)

Lenski New Testament Commentary - "Again" introduces this as a second comparison.… the likeness consists in the actions: what is done by the man regarding the treasure, and what the merchant does regarding the pearl. There was evidently a difference between "a man" mentioned in v. 44, a mere ordinary peasant or laborer, of whom the world has a large number, and this rich merchant, whose profession it was to inspect and to buy pearls in foreign cities, a man such as the world has but few.

Tyndale Commentaries - Pearls were highly valued in the ancient world (see Jeremias, PJ, p. 199 for the fantastic prices they could fetch). The action of the merchant (a substantial trader, not a local retailer), while more economically improbable than that of the finder of the treasure, immediately catches the imagination.

Lenski New Testament Commentary - In order to appreciate this point one must know the esteem in which pearls were held by the ancients, sums almost incredible being paid for a single pearl when it was a perfect specimen of its kind. Great skill was required to gauge the value of a pearl, noting its defects in shape, tint, smoothness, etc.

When he finds “ONE” pearl of great price, he does exactly like the man in the first story – he sells everything (implies all the pearls he has already bought), and purchases the valuable pearl.

II.  Lessons to learn

A.  The value of the kingdom.

“treasure;” “one pearl” – words that convey great worth that is greater than what can be imagined.

Lenski New Testament Commentary - The term "treasure" is comprehensive, so that we may think of all the precious things in the kingdom: righteousness, pardon, peace, etc., all that is spiritually priceless.

Romans 14:15-17 ^(NKJV) Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

The treasure is an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ that produces salvation from sin (righteousness), peace with God and joy in the Holy Spirit. Nothing else compares with this!

B.  The discovery that is made.

One writer suggests that the men in these two parables represent the seed that fell on good soil back in the parable of the sower that was mentioned earlier in the chapter. In both stories, the farmer and the merchant make their awesome discoveries quite by accident in the ordinary course of their daily routine. Both the farmer and the merchant immediately recognized the value of their discovery and did not delay in seeking the means to acquire it.

Some believe it is noteworthy that the “treasure” and the “pearl” were not blatantly obvious (i.e. they were “hidden” in some degree), yet they were not impossible to find. This coincides with Jesus’ words, (Matthew 13:13 ^NKJV) “Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.”

Parables were nothing more than neat stories to the people who had no desire to search for meaning and truth, but to the ones seeking truth, God provides revelation.

Lenski New Testament Commentary - As regards the reality the field brings out the thought that God did not hide his treasure far off in the heavens where no human being could even come near it but in a common, lowly place, where it could, indeed, be found, but certainly not by the earthly wise, proud, and self-sufficient. (see 1 Corinthians 1:27 ^(NKJV) But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty)

 “God hides himself from intellectual [dabblers], but reveals himself in Christ to those who humbly seek him.” ― John R.W. Stott, Why I Am a Christian

C.  The sacrifice joyfully made.

Lenski New Testament Commentary - Scriptures know of two extraordinary ways of buying: one is, without money or price, (e.g. Isaiah 55:1 ^(NKJV) "Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price.); the other is to give up … all that would prevent our possessing them.

The kingdom cannot be bought in the same sense that the pearl was bought, but the point of the story is the amount of sacrifice and commitment the merchant was willing to make in order to acquire it. To both of these men, it really wasn’t considered a sacrifice because they realized that what they were getting was so much more valuable than all they gave up!

This is exactly the opposite attitude from the man who came to Jesus and asked, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” When Jesus told him he lacked one thing, “Sell what you have and give to the poor,” the man went away full of sorrow because he had “great possessions.” He was unwilling to separate his life from his heart’s treasure – his possessions.

Conclusion:

We’ve been talking about two stories told by Jesus that illustrate the great value of the kingdom of God/heaven. However, the value is only known to those who have the capacity to recognize it.

What is it worth to you to have righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit?

What is it worth to you to have eternal life with Jesus rather than eternal suffering separated from God?

Are you more like the farmer and the merchant, or are you more like the rich young ruler?

What’s the kingdom of God worth to you?

What’s a relationship with the King of kings worth to you?

I hope you feel the same as I do this morning. I know “I’d rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today!”

I know this morning that I want to know more, more about Jesus!

Let’s sing the closing song:   More About Jesus 

Eating With Gladness

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This message was given on Jan. 29, 2017 for the worship service in which the Lord's Supper was shared at the close of the sermon.

Written Excerpts:

Acts 2:46 ^(NKJV) So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart

Introduction:

I have been doing a study for the last two weeks in our Wednesday night Bible studies on the topic of happiness, joy, blessedness, gladness, etc.

Interestingly enough, the study is the first of several I hope to do in a series I’m calling, “Christian Myths.”

Myth: God’s primary purpose for me is to make me happy.

Well, here we have a reference to some of the activities of the brand new group of Christian believers and it specifically mentions the fact that they did what they did “with gladness.”

“Gladness” – exultation, extreme joy… (Thayer, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament) It appears 5 times in NT; trans. 3 times as gladness, 1 time as joy and 1 time as exceeding joy. (Strong’s)

Now, I do not have the time to review what we’ve talked about the last two Wednesdays, but let me simply say that gladness and happiness are not the primary objectives of a Christian, but they are the byproduct of a life that is devoted to worship and service to Christ.

Transition: For a little while this morning I want to point out several observations from Scripture in an effort to help us understand why these Christians were so happy doing what they were doing.

I.     Their whole world had been revolutionized.

Life and vocations changed

Learned so much from the Master

Discouraged and confused by death

Revived by his resurrection

Filled up with the Holy Spirit

II.    They had been actively nurturing their new faith.

v. 42 - 46

“Continued steadfastly” - means "to adhere with strength" to something,

To what?

The Apostles doctrine – teaching

To fellowship – sharing with each other as one body even in the teaching and in everything.

To breaking of bread – common meals, love feasts, Lord’s Supper

To prayers – the people spent time praying for each other but mostly that their witness would be effective and opposition would break down.

III.  They were obeying the words of the Lord.

They were no longer sitting around behind closed doors worrying about what the authorities were going to do next, as they did after the crucifixion.

They were spreading the good news, healing sick people, helping those in need.

They were remembering and celebrating the love feast, and the Lord’s Supper.

Conclusion:

The phrase in our text says, “…they ate their meat with gladness and singleness of heart.”

The word “meat” or “food” probably means more than the Lord’s Supper but it more than likely included the Lord’s Supper.

As we partake of the Lord’s Supper here with one another today, let us do it with a heart of gladness. Let us do it with joy and rejoicing, not only for what Christ has provided for us through His sacrifice, but for all that we have enjoyed through following His will and keeping His word.

The King from Another World

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This message was given on Jan. 15, 2017 and is the second sermon in a series of messages on the kingdom of God. This message uses the words of Jesus in John 18:36, “My kingdom is not of this world” to emphasize the differences between the values and way of functioning in the kingdoms of this world vs. the values and way of operating in the kingdom of God.

Written Excerpts:

 John 18:36 (NKJV) Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here."

Introduction:

Last Sunday I told you that I had felt for a while that the Lord was leading me to do a series of messages on the Kingdom of God.

Last week we introduced the subject by trying to show how the idea of a “kingdom of God” had its roots in the Old Testament, especially in the prophecy of Daniel when he spoke of the time when the “God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed,” and “Then to [the One like the Son of Man] was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.

These and other prophecies were the basis for the Jews looking forward to the coming of the Messiah who would usher in the Kingdom of God.

We talked about the fact that both John the Baptist and Jesus preached that the “kingdom of God was at hand.”

We emphasized the distinctions between some of the perceptions the people had and the realities that Jesus taught:

·     Political/Military vs. Spiritual

·     Present vs. Present & Future

·     Social Reconstruction vs. Spiritual/Moral Change

Today I would like to use the passage in John 18:36 as the basis for our thoughts.

Jesus is being questioned by Pontius Pilate and was asked if He was a king. Jesus replied by saying, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here."

I want to focus our attention on this phrase, My kingdom is not of this world, and try to answer the question, “What are some of the differences in a kingdom that is ‘not of this world’?”

I.    Kingdoms of this world rely on military power; The kingdom of God relies on spiritual power.

In this verse, Jesus is emphasizing the fact that His kingdom will not presently utilize physical force.

According to the message of other texts in the Bible, we know that there is coming a time in the future when physical force will be exerted and the kingdoms of this world will be decisively and permanently defeated, but the timing is not now.

John 3:17 “God sent not His Son into the world to condemn (judge) the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

John 12:47 (NKJV) And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.

These words provide the reasoning for why Jesus said His servants would not fight – He hasn’t come to condemn, judge or destroy. He has come to save.

The Apostle Paul summarizes this same principle when he reminded the Ephesian Christians Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV) For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

You and I, as Christian believers and members of the Kingdom of God, must understand that we do not fight like those who belong to the kingdom of this world.

2 Corinthians 10: 3-4 (NKJV) For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.

This is a principle that isn’t always easy to follow and live by.

We are often inclined to “fight fire with fire.”

But when we do, we quickly learn that we’re not any better off, and many times we’re much worse off.

Even if we “win the fight” we often discover we’ve lost more than we’ve won.

II.  Values in God’s kingdom are opposite the values in the kingdoms of the world.

There are a number of ways in which the values or principles in the kingdom of God go completely contrary to the normal values and principles in the kingdom of this world.

The Sermon on the Mount highlights most of them. Here are a few of the more noticeable ones:

A. Love vs. Hate

World kingdom: Love your friends, hate your enemies…

·     Retaliate; ignore; subvert/undermine; gossip…

God’s Kingdom: Love everyone, even your enemies…

·     Bless those who curse; do good to those who despise you, practice the Golden Rule… 

B. Servant vs. Lord

World Kingdom: Love to “lord it over others”…

God’s Kingdom: Whoever wants to be greatest, let him be servant of all.

C. Material goods vs. Spiritual growth

World kingdom: Gain all the wealth and material comforts you possibly can. Material wealth is sign of God’s blessing or living good.

God’s Kingdom: Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Spiritual growth more important than material goods. Give to those in need. 

Conclusion:

We live as dual citizens. We are citizens of this world and citizens of God’s kingdom.

That’s why Jesus said, “Render unto Caesar the things that belong to Caesar and unto God the things that are God’s.” But our ultimate allegiance must be to the kingdom of God.

When we choose to live by the values of God’s kingdom rather than the world’s kingdom, we are often viewed as “aliens from another planet.” Well, they’re close in their assessment – we’re not from another planet, but we are from another kingdom, and it’s a kingdom that is not “of this world.”

Many times each day we are confronted with opportunities to choose which values we will follow – God’s kingdom or the world’s kingdom. May God help each one of us to purposely choose His values.

Let’s conclude the message by singing the chorus, Jesus, Lord to Me

Long Live the King

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This is a sermon given on Jan. 8, 2017 to start a new series of messages on the Kingdom of God. It introduces the series by providing some Old Testament background for the kingdom of God, Jesus’ emphasis on the message and some basic qualities of the kingdom of God.

Written Excerpts:

Matthew 4:17 (NKJV) From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

Introduction:   Several weeks ago I was reading in the gospels and was reminded of the many times that Jesus said to his listeners, “The kingdom of God is like…” At that time I felt impressed that sometime I should do a short series of messages on the kingdom of God as portrayed in the Bible. Well, today’s the day!

I.    Some background material for: Kingdom of God.

Some writers believe that the concept and idea for God as king goes all the way back to the OT prior to the days of the Israelite kings. Remember what God’s response was to Samuel when the Israelites were demanding a king like the other nations around them?

God said, “They have not rejected you, they have rejected Me that I should not reign over them.” (1 Sam. 8:7)

So the people rejected the idea of having God reign as king, and thus began the Israelite Monarchy with Saul as the first king, then David, Solomon and etc. These first three kings had their failures, but they did lead the nation according to God’s plan and purposes for the most part. However, after Solomon, the kings quickly strayed far away from the laws of God.

Eventually God began to show to His prophets various glimpses of a future time when He would once again become the supreme monarch over His people by sending His “Anointed One,” the Messiah into the world. The prophet Daniel was one of the ones who spoke specifically of a Divine King coming in the future.

Daniel 2:44-45 (NKJV) [Daniel is interpreting a dream that Nebuchadnezzar had of a large image]And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold--the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure."

Daniel 7:13-14 (NKJV) "I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.

II.  The Kingdom of God (heaven) was the primary message for John the Baptist & Jesus.

Both of them preached repentance to enter the kingdom of God (heaven).

Matthew 4:17 (NKJV) From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

Mark 1:12-15 (NKJV)Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him. Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel."

Jesus’ message brought hope, but it didn’t meet all the expectations of the people. Their hopes were based in a political, military kingdom; Jesus preached a spiritual kingdom. They expected immediate change to the social order, Jesus emphasized change to the spiritual and moral arena.

They sought the complete fulfillment of the Kingdom in the present, Jesus taught that the Kingdom has come in the present to some degree, but the complete fulfillment of Kingdom realities will be in the future.

In the Scripture that was read earlier from Matthew 12:28, Jesus said that when He casts out demons by the power of God, that was proof that the Kingdom of God was among them.

III. Summary of Kingdom Principles

In any kingdom there is a Sovereign King who exercises ultimate authority.

A kingdom includes the king's dominion or realm. God's kingdom is national; personal; universal.

The kingdom of God is both here now (Spiritual) and coming in the future.

Conclusion:

Jesus will be the final King.

I want to read a few passages:

1 Timothy 6:13-16 (NKJV) I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ's appearing, which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.

Revelation 17:14 (NKJV) These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful."

Revelation 19:11-16 (NKJV) Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

Revelation 11:15 (NKJV)Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!"

Let’s close the service by singing the hymn:   A Child of the King

If God Be for Us

(To download an mp3 file of this message, click on the title above. To listen online, click on the play button of the audio player shown.)

This was a sermon that was given on January 1, 2017 to remind us that God is in control.

Written Excerpts:

Romans 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

Introduction:

As we stand on the threshold of a brand new year, each one of us has a choice to face the year with faith or with fear.

Story of Fear (Illustrations Unlimited.) When you fear that the worst will happen, your own thoughts may help to bring it about. Someone once wrote, "Fear is the wrong use of imagination. It is anticipating the worst, not the best that can happen."

A salesman, driving on a lonely country road one dark and rainy night, had a flat. He opened the trunk—no lug wrench. The light from a farmhouse could be seen dimly up the road. He set out on foot through the driving rain. Surely the farmer would have a lug wrench he could borrow, he thought.

Of course, it was late at night—the farmer would be asleep in his warm, dry bed. Maybe he wouldn't answer the door. And even if he did, he'd be angry at being awakened in the middle of the night.

The salesman, picking his way blindly in the dark, stumbled on. By now his shoes and clothing were soaked. Even if the farmer did answer his knock, he would probably shout something like, "What's the big idea waking me up at this hour?" This thought made the salesman angry. What right did that farmer have to refuse him the loan of a lug wrench? After all, here he was stranded in the middle of nowhere, soaked to the skin. The farmer was a selfish clod—no doubt about that!

The salesman finally reached the house and banged loudly on the door. A light went on inside, and a window opened above. A voice called out, "Who is it?" His face white with anger, the salesman called out, "You know darn well who it is. It's me! And you can keep your blasted lug wrench. I wouldn't borrow it now if you had the last one on earth!"

For a little while today I would like to explore some of the lessons that are expressed or implied in the passage I’ve read from Rom. 8:31. The last 9 verses of Romans 8 are all about God seeing to it that every believer is ultimately victorious.

Paul begins this section with a “loaded question.” “What shall we say to these things?” – What is the final conclusion? What does this all mean?

“these things” – probably a reference back to vv. 29-30; the “links” in the chain of redemption.

He then begins to provide the answer to that question by a series of “rhetorical questions.” (Remember, a rhetorical question is one that has a blatantly obvious answer.) Even though the answer to each rhetorical question is already assumed, Paul goes ahead and follows each one up with an answer that is more thorough.

There are a few questions I would like to ask in order to discover the full impact of this question raised by the Apostle.  Those questions would be:

1.  Who is God?

2.  Is He for us?

3.  Who is against us?

I.  WHO IS THIS GOD THAT PAUL SPEAKS OF?

A.  He is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe.

       Isaiah 40:12-17; 21-26 (NKJV) ¹² Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, Measured heaven with a span And calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Weighed the mountains in scales And the hills in a balance? ¹³ Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, Or as His counselor has taught Him? ¹⁴ With whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him, And taught Him in the path of justice? Who taught Him knowledge, And showed Him the way of understanding? ¹⁵ Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, And are counted as the small dust on the scales; Look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing. ¹⁶ And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, Nor its beasts sufficient for a burnt offering. ¹⁷ All nations before Him are as nothing, And they are counted by Him less than nothing and worthless. ²¹ Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? ²²  It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. ²³  He brings the princes to nothing; He makes the judges of the earth useless. ²⁴ Scarcely shall they be planted, Scarcely shall they be sown, Scarcely shall their stock take root in the earth, When He will also blow on them, And they will wither, And the whirlwind will take them away like stubble. ²⁵ “To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?" says the Holy One. ²⁶ Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of His might And the strength of His power; Not one is missing.

This is the God that Paul is talking about. What if He is for us? Who can possibly be against us?

B.  He is infinite in knowledge and strength and every other attribute.

II.  IS HE FOR US?

There are a myriad of references in the entire Bible that would indicate God is for us – not in the sense that He promises to give us everything we want, or follow our every desire. But the Bible is clear about the fact that God is for us in the sense that He loves us far more than we can comprehend and He has done everything necessary so we can know Him and follow Him.

The real answer to this question is found in the very next verse (v. 32). He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? – He will give us all things necessary because He already has!

The fact that God is for us is proven by the sending of His own Son as a substitute sacrifice for each of us.

III.  WHO IS AGAINST US?

It is obvious that Satan is against us and the world is against us. 

See: 1 Pet. 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:  

John 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

These two references alone ought to teach us that we cannot make a decision to trust Christ and then expect to “coast” on in to heaven.

No, we have an enemy that is out to destroy us and if we’re not diligently seeking God’s will, His grace and His strength, we will be overcome before we know it.

However, Paul’s question is not raising the issue of whether anyone is against us, but whether it will do them any good to be against us. “If God be for us, who can be against us?” – The obvious answer is: it doesn’t matter, whoever it is, or whatever it is, they will not defeat us. They cannot undo what God has done and they cannot destroy the work that Christ has accomplished.

This includes every kind of adversity. (See verses 35-37)  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ³⁶ As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." ³⁷ Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

When God is for us, then none of these things mentioned can defeat us or destroy us.

Conclusion:

Someone has said, “If God be for us, everyone else might as well be too!”

That is my conclusion as well.

Face this year with confidence that God is faithful and He will get us safely through by His infinite grace.

Let us sing the closing hymn, Day by Day