Kingdom Students #1

Tonight we are beginning our first lesson in a short series we are calling, “Kingdom Students.” Basically, my goal is to show you the importance of the doctrine of the Kingdom of God, whether or not you have a place in it, and how it impacts our daily lives. As we dive into the word together for a bit tonight, we will learn a bit about what the Kingdom of God is and who it’s citizens are.

So, with that said, I want you to turn with me to Luke 13:18-19 where Jesus says,

Luke 13:18–19 NKJV

18 Then He said, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? 19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.”

As we look at this passage, we are going to learn a little bit about the character of the kingdom of God. Do you see how Jesus compares it to a small seed that grows into a big tree? Can any of you tell me the first place we read about a tree in the Bible? (Genesis 2:9) Can any of you tell me the last place you read about a tree in the Bible? (Revelation 22:2)

The thing is that throughout the Bible there are loads of passages that refer to a tree. For instance, in Genesis 3, man disobeys God and eats the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and condemns the human race. In Daniel 4:10-12, King Nebuchadnezzar has a dream of a tree so big that it reaches into the Heavens and Daniel tells Him that the tree is a symbol of his kingdom which will be taken from him. In Isaiah, we see a tree cut down but that from the stump of Jesse there would shoot up a new branch. In Psalm 1:3, David says that those who rely on the word of God are like a tree that grows and here in Matthew 13, we find that Jesus says the Kingdom of God is like a tree.

But most shocking is the tree that changed it all for good and that is the tree that the Lord Jesus died for us on. Dr. Patrick Schreiner said, “Just as the tree was the undoing of Adam and Eve in the garden, so the cross ends Jesus’s life. He hangs upon this tree for the world to mock and sneer. [And they all] assume that Jesus’s kingdom has been conquered by nailing Jesus to the cross, yet in a scandalous twist, this tree becomes the King’s greatest victory.”

So, what I want us to see here is that throughout the Bible, according to Dr. Schreiner, “The tree becomes representative of the concept of which Jesus speaks so often: The Kingdom.” And it teaches us about the kingdom of God because in the Bible, the image of the tree communicates power like the promises in the garden or in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.

It also represents people because Nebuchadnezzar’s dream has birds resting in it’s branches which describes people in a kingdom. We see other things like this in Isaiah and Psalms.

Lastly, it represents a place. The tree in Genesis is in a garden. In Daniel it’s where the whole world can see it. And in Revelation its in the center of the city.

So, the Kingdom of God is the King’s power over the King’s people in the King’s place. Or we could put it like this:

Jesus is the kingdom of God because He is the powerful one who rules over all. He is the place where we hide and He sends His Spirit to empower His people. Now, although Jesus is the Kingdom, we belong to Him and since we are His body, the Kingdom of God is visible through us in this world.

Now, when Jesus says in Luke 13:18-19

Luke 13:18–19 NKJV

18 Then He said, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? 19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.”

He is telling us that this Kingdom is already here on the Earth. That kingdom which is good, that kingdom which makes things right, that kingdom which brings peace and happiness and love and joy is already here and it came with Jesus but it was like a little tiny, tiny mustard seed. But here Jesus tells us that although it seems small then, it won’t stay small forever but would one day grow to become a huge tree. So big that even the birds would come to make their nests in it.

What Jesus is telling us is that His kingdom is going to grow and it will grow by the salvation of sinners on the earth. But whats up with the birds? The birds are a picture of the gentiles, of people like us. So this Kingdom is going to be like nothing these Jews ever imagined. It’s going to be a worldwide Kingdom included people of different cultures and backgrounds.

Now, at the beginning of this series, I wanted to take today not only to tell you a little bit about what the Kingdom is, but whether or not you are in it because that is the most important question that you could ask yourself. Throughout the Gospels the writers use the word, “Kingdom” but John takes it and uses the phrase, “Eternal Life” instead. So, when I ask you, “Are you a Kingdom Citizen.” I’m asking you, “Do you know Christ? Have you been saved? Do you have eternal life?”

And I want us to explore that idea of becoming a kingdom citizen as we look at Mark 10:13-16

Mark 10:13–16 NKJV

13 Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. 15 Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” 16 And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.

I want to draw your attention to how Jesus says, “Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.”

Is Jesus saying that if you aren’t saved as a kid there’s no hope? No, that’s not what He’s saying. Rather, He is saying that to become a kingdom citizen, you must come like one of this little kids that are being brought up for me to hold by their parents. Jesus isn’t saying you’ve got to come like an innocent little baby, because they aren’t innocent, we are all born with a sinful nature. Rather, they aren’t blessed because of what they have, but because of what they don’t have. They don’t come to him all powerful and holy and smart. Instead, they come to Him small, powerless, without sophistication, and, in that culture, overlooked and dispossessed of society (Edwards, PNTC). So, are you a kingdom citizen? Have you come to Jesus seeing that you have nothing to offer him? If you came to Jesus because you thought you could really help His cause, you don’t get this thing at all.

So, the question is, have you seen yourself as needy, hopeless, having no credits or goods on your own? Do you find yourself needing Jesus like a baby needs his mother? Are you one of His? If you have come to Him, acknowledging yourself as a sinner, He will save you and you will belong to His kingdom and you will have a new citizenship as a Kingdom Citizen.

Now, over the next few weeks we are going to look at how being a kingdom citizen influences our daily lives.