KINGDOM PRESENT - THE KINGDOM PARABLES

AN INTRODUCTION continued

Before we get into the individual parables next week I thought I should share a little about my life in regard to the 'love of riches'. If you have heard this from me before, please forgive me.

By nature and inheritance I am a businessman. And how do you measure success in business? By profit - or loss. That is - money. Although I am bit different to most, for I like the challenge of doing something different, in the end, success or failure is judged in monetary terms.

To briefly sum up my business life I have

1. Been very successful in business, then failed - without knowing Jesus.
2. Came to know Jesus personally through the desperation of bankruptcy.
3. Was again successful in business before going bankrupt once more!
4. Got to know Jesus much better through this bankruptcy.
5. Started Seekers, as a charitable trust, without personal payment, for the benefit of others.

Maybe, hopefully, I have learned my lessons this time!

While there are a few businessmen Jesus followers who have managed to avoid getting caught up in the 'love of money', continuing to live on a small amount while giving the rest away, most want a bigger house and a better car, even though they may still give lots away too.

We can be 'double tithers' (churches love us!), give to the poor, promote Gods Word, do all the right things, but let go of our intimate relationship with Jesus through our busYness and good works.

No, I am not talking of an alternative 'poverty mentality' as being the way to go, but certainly one where our reliance is upon Jesus rather than our 'Super (or not so super in recent times!) Fund'.

Now Kathy and I live on her wages in a rented house, owning only personal items. It is challenging at times, and people question us on what we will do in our retirement. Most don't understand the only answer possible. Do you?

Last week I mentioned the 70 who were sent out with nothing. Interestingly, I did a trip to Africa in that way, although my airfares had been paid. I had 50c a day to live on for 2 months. After 10 days my $30 was down to $2 with 50 days to go! Then the Lord started bringing the money in. I left Africa with no money but having been provided for throughout my trip also. Everyone was surprised - the Africans and me!

In whom, or what, do we put our trust?

(Continued next week)

KINGDOM PRESENT - THE KINGDOM PARABLES

AN INTRODUCTION continued

The second practical warning of Jesus, once again contained in round a quarter of the parables, is a warning against the love of money and accumulating riches.

I can see the hairs rising on the back of your head!

Alternatively, you may be thinking 'I don't love money', as you sit back relaxing in your armchair watching the news about the Haiti earthquake on your 100 inch screen, surround sound, blu-ray, home theatre system thinking, I am so blessed that I don't live there!

The reality is, in the natural, we all like money, whether we admit it or not! If we don't have it, we want it, if we do have it, we want more. That simply is human nature.

Of course, Jesus understood this reality and spent a great deal of time talking about money and warning us of the dangers involved.

But even before Jesus came, the Old Testament books of wisdom contained similar warnings.

10 Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless. 11 As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owner except to feast his eyes on them? 12 The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of a rich man permits him no sleep. 13 I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner, 14 or wealth lost through some misfortune, so that when he has a son there is nothing left for him. 15 Naked a man comes from his mother’s womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand. (Ecclesiastes 5:11-15)

Jesus was straight up about it.

24 “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. (Matthew 6:24)

The Pharisees were quoted as a worldly example.

14 The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. 15 He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.

How about going on a ministry trip this way?

8 These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. (Mark 6:8)

Leave your VISA card at home, would seem to be the advice here!

I will leave you today with some inspired wisdom from Timothy.

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (1 Timothy 6:6-10)

(Continued next week)

KINGDOM PRESENT - THE KINGDOM PARABLES

AN INTRODUCTION

Last week we saw that, according to the parables, developing spiritual fruit in our lives was the key to kingdom living.

Jesus was a very practical person, understanding us better than we understand ourselves. So He also took the opportunity, through the parables, to warn us of the key areas in which we can, more likely will, go astray.

First of all, there is the logical area of living a life no, or little difference, to that which we lived before we knew Jesus. Commonly called, 'one foot in the kingdom, one in the world.' Seeking the benefits without being prepared to pay the price!

Jesus was tough on this! We will see this as we go through the parables individually. A quarter of them deal with the judgment that will come upon us if we don't bear fruit in our lives! Don't know about you, but it certainly gives me food for thought. And motivation for action too!

We live in a time when the love of Jesus is promoted, almost to the exclusion of the other side of His, and the Father's, balanced character, which is ultimately, His judgment, should we choose to continually ignore His will for us.

We need to understand that, just because we have accepted Jesus as Saviour, we are not excused from judgment. Don't believe me, believe the Word! In fact, it is repeated twice in this passage, in both verses 12 and 13.

12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. (Revelation 20:12-13)

The book of life refers to Christians. How do I know that? From verse 15.

15 If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15)

So Jesus warned us both in the parables, written specifically for believers, and here in the description of Judgment Day, what would happen if we ignored His instructions to produce spiritual fruit in our lives. This warning is again confirmed in Hebrews.

26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Hebrews 10:26-31)

Is all hopeless then? No, it is not.

If we do the will of God...

36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. (Hebrews 10:36)

And again in Romans...

7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. (Romans 2:7)

The choice is ours.

(Continued next week)

KINGDOM PRESENT - THE KINGDOM PARABLES

AN INTRODUCTION

Why are the parables so important to our understanding of how to live in the kingdom today?

The disciples wondered this and Jesus gave them the answer.

10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”
11 He replied, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. (Matthew 13:10-13)

Kingdom living is not understood, indeed ridiculed by, non-believers and sadly, many Christians too. So Jesus took the step of explaining the Christian lifestyle in a way that could only be truly understood through the revelation of the Holy Spirit. In this way, no-one is offended! But all believers with a longing to discover the heart of God, are truly challenged!

The parables then, contain His secret messages to us, His followers.

Several years ago I went through these, and made a summary list of the topics referred to in them. This summary shows the emphasis that Jesus placed on the positive attributes we are to develop, but at the same time deals in detail with the areas in which we are most likely to be tempted to go astray. For He knows us better than we know ourselves! I am glad about that, for often it seems, I don't know much about myself! God is so practical!

The summary is contained in the pie chart.

What then, is the most important attribute required to live the kingdom lifestyle?

Reading the Word? Experiencing Holy Spirit anointing? Deep theology? No, no and no!

The single most important factor in kingdom living is in the production of fruit in our lives. No, it is not apples, which is a pity really, for we live in Hawkes Bay, one of the foremost apple growing areas of the world! But rather, spiritual fruit, which Paul summarised as being;

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-5)

May the Holy Spirit reveal this basic spiritual truth to us this week.

(Continued next week)


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MUSINGS ON THE KINGDOM - PAST, FUTURE AND PRESENT

KINGDOM PRESENT

As we enter a new year, a new decade, it seems appropriate that we major in on the foundation of the kingdom, past, future and present, and that is SACRIFICIAL LOVE. Love that costs! Love that often hurts! Love that puts others before ones self!

While women can grasp this concept most easily, for it can be related to the maternal instinct found in the bearing and bringing up of a family. Mums sacrifice much for their kids. When we misbehave our Mum still loves and cares for us. We take it for granted. We may well abuse her love, but she still loves us!

Being a man though, I can't really understand this in a truly personal way. For it is not inbuilt into a man's psyche as it is in a woman. That is simply reality.

So how can I, as a man, understand what God requires of me? I have battled with this over the years. I know all about the theory of 'agape love' but it hasn't necessarily implanted itself within me! How can I truly understand and apply these principles to my life?

For me, the answer has come through the concept of servanthood. Men can somewhat understand what it means to be a servant, even if we don't want to become one! Throughout most of my working life I have been a boss, not a worker (although I work harder than most 'workers'!) in the classic definition of the word. However I can understand the job, the role of a servant as it applies in the world. And gradually, the Holy Spirit has been ingrafting some of these behaviours into me. It is a long and ongoing process, I can assure you! But it is one I can understand! Jesus was the ultimate servant, sacrificing His life for yours and mine. As Isaiah prophesied hundreds of years beforehand!

13 See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. 14 Just as there were many who were appalled at him— his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness— 15 so will he sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand. (Isaiah 52:13-15)

And we are to follow His example.

26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:26-8)

May the Lord help us both to receive the full revelation, understanding and application of the practical love of servanthood so that His kingdom may be built upon the earth - now.

(Continued next week)

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