Morning Message Text: Matthew 13: 31-33, 44-52
The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast
31 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field.
32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”
33 He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.”
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.
The Parable of the Net
47 “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish.
48 When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away.
49 This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous
50 and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51 “Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked. “Yes,” they replied.
52 He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”
Morning Message:
Understanding the kingdom of heaven. I know that we can never fully understand heaven until the day that we arrive there, but if we pay attention to the parables of Jesus, we can gain a better understanding of our final destination. Most of what we know about heaven is based on our hope of eternity, life after death. Heaven is our wonderful hope as believers in Jesus. We picture heaven as some place beyond the clouds and there is good biblical basis for that belief. We know that we will go to be with Jesus, and we know from scripture that Jesus ascended into the clouds. 1Thessalonians 4: 17 says, “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” I was reminded of one of the devotions that I read recently. When a traveler took his assigned seat on an airplane, he realized that he was seated next to a well-known celebrity. “I never expected to find you here,” the traveler said.
“Well,” the celebrity replied, “everybody has to be somewhere!” Christians can only be in two places. Either we are present in our body on earth or present with the Lord in heaven. Think about it: With the Lord and with our loved ones who died in Christ.
What is Jesus telling us about the Kingdom that we are a part of? Right now, the world does not recognize the kingdom of heaven. It is thought of, even by us, as some far-off place, but it exists in us. One day this small seed that Jesus planted in this world will grow into the kingdom of heaven; it will grow into a wonderful tree, a place of rest and security. Let me ask you. What does yeast do when it is mixed into flour? It grows and expands over time. It doesn’t produce results immediately, but over time it increases until it affects everything around it. We don’t see it in this country, but all around this world God’s kingdom is growing.
People are coming to Jesus every day. This is why I say to you all the time that we should be growing in our faith. If the kingdom is inside of us as followers of Jesus, it should be growing and affecting everything and everyone around us. Tell me, what effect are you having for the kingdom?
Is the kingdom of heaven your treasure? In ancient Israel, when someone found a buried treasure, that treasure belonged to the owner of the property. If you could buy the property, then everything in it would belong to you. This is what the kingdom should mean to us. It should be worth so much to us that we are willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of the kingdom. Jesus tells us that what seems like costly sacrifice today will one day be revealed as a pittance when compared to the riches of the kingdom of heaven. The problem in the church today is that we have stopped wrestling with this issue. It is front and center in our society, and it is front and center in our churches. Our priorities have been hijacked by the demands of this world and our desire to have both the treasures of this life and the treasures of the kingdom of heaven. In this life the choices seem so difficult. Let’s be serious for a moment here, the worldly things that pull at us have become more important to us than our faith. Am I wrong? Believe me, I am not being critical of you or the choices you make for you and your family without being equally critical of my own choices. These things, sporting events, being part of a team, choosing every earthly activity ahead of worship, leaving no time for God because our social calendars must be kept up. Let me assure you of something, when we get to heaven these things that we thought were so important will seem silly.
The kingdom of heaven is like a net. Jesus may be saying that these parables are like a net let down into the waters of this world, distinguishing those who listen from those who do not. God knows the difference, and one day the truth will be revealed. There is no need to concern ourselves with what will happen at the end of the age. We could spend a lot of time discussing the horrors of the blazing furnace of hell. Jesus is telling his disciples, including us, to value the new things that he is teaching us along with those things that we already know. Just like the owner of the house in the last parable we must take this faith that we have known for some time and apply what the Holy Spirit is saying to us today through God’s word. We know that we are forgiven through the blood of Christ and our salvation has been secured, but we must take that knowledge and apply this understanding of God’s kingdom. The new treasure that you can leave with here today is a renewed urgency and fresh priorities. Make God’s kingdom the most important thing in your life.
In Christ’s Love and Peace,
Pastor Bob
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