KINGDOM PRESENT - THE KINGDOM PARABLES

KINGDOM PRESENT - THE KINGDOM PARABLES

THE PARABLES OF THE HIDDEN TREASURE AND THE PEARL

44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. (Matthew 13:44-6)

The kingdom of God really is available now!
It is hidden to non believers, and sadly, to most believers also. Many believers are even looking for it, for they are (incorrectly) taught that it is a future kingdom only.

If it were not available now, then why would Jesus have told these parables? Jesus, in fact, is talking in the past tense here, about two people who have actually already found the kingdom. So logically, it has to be there to be found!

The kingdom of God is priceless!
It is a treasure in the field; it is also the finest pearl the trader has ever seen.

It is easy for us to build a fantasy picture of what 'heaven' is like - fluffy angels and golden paving. Suspect it will be different when we do get there!

But it is even more difficult to envisage that this beautiful, precious kingdom could ever exist on earth, amongst all the troubles and challenges we are facing in the world, let alone imagine what it looks like!

In fact though the kingdom already exists in those who seek it. We may not be able to see it, but it is there, within.

20 Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, 21 nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:20-1)

However, in the end times this inner existence will be reflected outwardly also, in kingdom believers, in what is often called the 'double blessing'.

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:17b-19)

Imagine being filled with 'the fullness of God'!

I had an aunty, Aunty Ina, who suffered badly from arthritis in her later years. However she would still cook (which won my affection!), but my greatest memory is of her sitting by the fire with her Bible by her side. In spite of her pain, the glow of the Holy Spirit shined from her. The kingdom within, was seen without!

The kingdom costs us everything!
The first man sold all he had, the second, all his precious pearls, in order to buy, (to inherit) the kingdom. To participate in the glory of the kingdom costs us our all. For we cannot live in two kingdoms at the same time. Either we live in the world (follow the ways of the world while maybe acknowledging Jesus as Saviour) or commit our lives 100% to Him (making Jesus Lord of our lives). Jesus spoke in this way as He prayed for His disciples at Gethsemane;

14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. (John 17:14)

The kingdom costs everything, for as black is the opposite of white, so true kingdom believers will reflect the light of Jesus to the world, who will either accept or reject the light.

8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14 for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” (Ephesians 5:8-13)

Are you, am I, prepared to pay the price of the kingdom?

KINGDOM PRESENT - THE KINGDOM PARABLES

THE GREAT PHYSICIAN

10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?” 12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:10-13)

This brief parable should turn the church upside down! It did originally. But then the church became either, a part of the establishment (eg. Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican), or indirectly associated with the establishment (eg. most Protestant churches today - from 'protesting' to 'conformity').

Most of the people Jesus mixed with, those whom He came to bring into His kingdom, had been rejected by the religious establishment of the time as being beyond salvation. But Jesus came to save the hurting and the lost. Not the righteous, but the sinners, as the parable states. This was anathema to the religious people of the day.

2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” (Luke 15:2)

We all know this and accept it in theory. We may run programmes to help the poor, or go out on mission trips, but I would suggest that most of our time and money (the best barometer) is spent on ourselves, maintaining ministers, buildings and programmes that predominantly fit in with the middle class establishment of our society. The emphasis is on meeting our own needs, to become comfortable within the environment in which we live.

The early New Testament church was definitely not part of the establishment. It was persecuted. It went underground in many cases, simply to ensure its survival.

The Church Persecuted and Scattered

On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison. (Acts 8:1-3)

Persecution is promised still, to those who wish to enter the kingdom. For our lifestyle is to be radically different to that of the world.

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:10-12)

The disciples of Jesus were a classic example of completely unsuitable people chosen to be 'ministers'. Uneducated, rejected by the religious establishment, who only chose the best and brightest to become disciples of the Rabbis. Yet, in spite of their ups and downs when Jesus was teaching them, after His death, resurrection and ascension, they changed the course of history right through to the present day. A rabble of uneducated men became world changers! For Jesus knew their hearts!

What do we look for today in our ministers? The best and brightest, with quality theological degrees .......... Is this the example Jesus provided to us?

You will, of course, quote Paul, as a rabbinical style example. Yes he was trained. But the first thing that happened to him was to be broken of his training. Let us read what Easton's Bible Dictionary had to say about it.

As he and his companions rode on, suddenly at mid-day a brilliant light shone round them, and Saul was laid prostrate in terror on the ground, a voice sounding in his ears, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” The risen Saviour was there, clothed in the vesture of his glorified humanity. In answer to the anxious inquiry of the stricken persecutor, “Who art thou, Lord?” he said, “I am Jesus whom thou persecutest” (Acts 9:5; 22:8; 26:15).

This was the moment of his conversion, the most solemn in all his life. Blinded by the dazzling light (Acts 9:8), his companions led him into the city, where, absorbed in deep thought for three days, he neither ate nor drank (9:11). Ananias, a disciple living in Damascus, was informed by a vision of the change that had happened to Saul, and was sent to him to open his eyes and admit him by baptism into the Christian church (9:11–16). The whole purpose of his life was now permanently changed.

Immediately after his conversion he retired into the solitudes of Arabia (Gal. 1:17), perhaps of “Sinai in Arabia,” for the purpose, probably, of devout study and meditation on the marvellous revelation that had been made to him. “A veil of thick darkness hangs over this visit to Arabia. Of the scenes among which he moved, of the thoughts and occupations which engaged him while there, of all the circumstances of a crisis which must have shaped the whole tenor of his after-life, absolutely nothing is known. ‘Immediately,’ says St. Paul, ‘I went away into Arabia.’ The historian passes over the incident [comp. Acts 9:23 and 1 Kings 11:38, 39]. It is a mysterious pause, a moment of suspense, in the apostle’s history, a breathless calm, which ushers in the tumultuous storm of his active missionary life.” Coming back, after three years, to Damascus, he began to preach the gospel “boldly in the name of Jesus” (Acts 9:27), but was soon obliged to flee (9:25; 2 Cor. 11:33) from the Jews and betake himself to Jerusalem. Here he tarried for three weeks, but was again forced to flee (Acts 9:28, 29) from persecution. He now returned to his native Tarsus (Gal. 1:21), where, for probably about three years, we lose sight of him. The time had not yet come for his entering on his great life-work of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles.

To become effective once more, the church needs to follow the example of Scripture and Jesus and become a grassroots organism. Ministering to the 'sinners', showing 'mercy' to those in need. Becoming outward rather than inwards focused.

Talk is easy. But are we ready to change? Are we prepared to meet the challenge?

KINGDOM PRESENT - THE KINGDOM PARABLES

THE SHEPHERD AND HIS FLOCK

“I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. 3 The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them. 7 Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Fath er.” (John 10:1-18)

This morning, (Sunday) I was lying in bed listening to the radio. There was a programme on about teaching religion in schools.

Setting a benchmark, 55% of New Zealanders considered themselves Christian (most are nominal though), 30% atheist or agnostic, with 15% following other religions.

In essence, the conclusion was that it was acceptable to teach 'religious moral values' without teaching any particular 'religion'. One universal God etc., etc. The one world church movement is growing, and sadly, is supported by many 'Christians'.

The Christians, and others, had either not read, misunderstood, or rejected this parable. For Jesus was warning here about this 'politically correct', worldly conclusion.

According to Jesus, there is only one way, one gate, to enter the kingdom of God. Either Jesus is lying, which means we shouldn't believe anything He says, or He is speaking the truth, informing us of an unequivocal fact, one which we ignore at our peril.

He reiterates this truth in Matthew.

The Narrow and Wide Gates

13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Matthew 7:13-14)

The choices are the broad gate of inclusion and destruction, or the narrow gate of life, now and for eternity.

This choice is mine. This choice is yours. Which gate will you choose?

The parable continues to say that there are two groups of sheep that will be combined into one flock, in the kingdom.

16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. (John 10:16)

The two lots of sheep that are to join together are the Jews who choose to follow Jesus, along with the gentiles, whom the Jews of the time, and many still today, would not consider could ever be acceptable to God, without first becoming Jews.

Peter, the Jew, had to learn this lesson through the vision he received from the Lord about all animals now being clean to eat.

15 “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. 16 Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?” 18 When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.” (Acts 11:15-18)

I look forward to the day when we will all, Jewish and gentile followers of Jesus will be gathered into the one flock with one shepherd.

Thank you Lord.