God Changing Us
Applying the Kingdom • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Transcript
Reading:
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
Introduction:
1. “In November 1992, a farmer living near the village of Hoxne in Suffolk, England, lost a hammer in one of his fields, so he asked Eric Lawes to use his metal detector to search for it. While looking for the hammer, Lawes happened upon something else of interest -- 24 bronze coins, 565 gold coins, 14,191 silver coins, plus hundreds of gold and silver spoons, jewelry, and statues, all dating back to the Roman Empire.
As required by British law, the so-called "Hoxne Hoard" was reported to the local authorities, who declared it a "Treasure Trove," meaning it was now legally the property of Britain. However, the government is required to pay fair market value for a treasure trove, meaning the farmer and Lawes split a cool £1.75 million. The Hoxne Hoard is now on permanent display at the British Museum, drawing thousands of people every year.
Sadly, there is no word on whether or not the hammer was ever found.
2. Michael Sparks was visiting a Nashville thrift store, where he bought a candleholder, a set of salt and pepper shakers, and a yellowed print of the Declaration of Independence. Sparks figured the document was a worthless, modern reprint, so he paid the asking price -- $2.48 -- and headed home.
After looking over the document for a few days, he wondered if it might be older than he initially thought. So he hopped on the internet to do some research and soon realized he had purchased one of only 200 official copies of the Declaration of Independence commissioned by John Quincy Adams in 1820. Of those 200, 35 had been found intact; he had number 36.
It took a year for Sparks to have the print authenticated and preserved and then he put it up for auction, netting a final sale price of $477,650.
The salt and pepper shakers, on the other hand, were still worthless.”
You may ask why i’m telling these stories.
Many times people don’t realize the value of something they have!
The main idea is that many people in the world proclaim that the weak minded are the ones that need a faith to cling to, so they don’t have to deal with reality.
A lot of people view a faith in God as useless, and meaningless.
We as followers of Jesus, may even sometimes believe that our faith is of little significance or isn’t really having an direct impact on others through our efforts.
Today we have a few different parables that speak into these points of view, and addresses the powerful impact you and I are having on this world.
It should serve as an encouragement and a challenge.
Transition:
You may have noticed that I skipped some verses between the last 2 parables presented.
I did that on purpose.
It would be easy to just read past verses :31-:33 of Matthew 13 since they seem to be out in left field compared to the context of salvation and punishment through planting and harvest.
It is like hearing Jesus make small talk on the way to the house from the boat.
These parables provide much more than “filler” on the way to the house.
They reveal what the kingdom of heaven is like on Earth.
Verses 31-33 of Matthew 13 give us:
Your Importance (:31-:33)
Your Importance (:31-:33)
He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”
He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.”
Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a mustard seed.
The mustard seed was known as one of the smallest seeds.
It was a seed that many considered a “garden plant”, or as a herb or vegetable.
You can see how small and insignificant the seed seems to be.
The seed is small but when it grows and is properly nurtured can grow into a tree.
Here is a field of mustard seeds, which really looks like a field of weeds.
It is supposed that the mustard seed can grow up to ten or twelve feet tall; which allows the birds to perch in it’s branches.
Why is Jesus comparing the kingdom of heaven to a small insignificant seed that can grow into a big tree?
Jesus is making the similarity of a small and insignificant thing growing into something great.
He compares this result to the small beginnings of the life changing gospel.
Think about it.
Jesus recruits 12 men and trains them: We hold in our hand one impact they had on the world.
The beginnings were small for the Gospel; but now look at how far it has reached and what it has done.
Point:
Many souls have been transformed from something so small.
The small has a great impact and it’s influence is widespread; more than any suspected.
One man changed the world, and eternity for many.
Connection:
Each and every one of you may not feel like you are impacting the world for the Lord.
Jesus speaks into that through this parable:
He is letting you know that He is working in this world through you just as much as the “famous” or more well known believers.
Who is it that faithfully supports the mission of this ministry?
Who is it that dedicates a portion of their income to support missionaries?
It’s you!
You believe what Jesus has called you to do and obey by faith which is shown by your choices.
No believer is in-significant, each is important and make a bigger impact than they realize.
Transition:
The impact is great and many grow and further the kingdom which helps us understand: the birds in the branches living at the top of the biggest garden plant.
It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”
That isn’t final thought pertaining to the impact of the gospel on the world.
Jesus offers another:
He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.”
Jesus is so great at bringing truth to people through everyday things that they can connect with.
Jesus compares the kingdom to leaven that is put into the lump of dough.
This kind of correlation doesn’t make sense to me as I have never made bread, I sure like to eat it though.
Growing up I could walk into the house and smell the cinnamon raisin bread baking in the bread oven.
Remember those things, bread makers.
I’m sure there was some yeast used in that process; but I never saw it.
I had to look up the bread making process.
In that process I read that the yeast is placed into water at a certain temperature, stirred; then:
The flour mixture is made.
the yeast had to be kneaded into the bread, so that the yeast would be mixed throughout the whole lump of dough.
This was quite the process; but there is something different about this instance where Jesus is talking about the leaven.
Many times throughout scripture Jesus is referencing leaven to be a bad thing.
Jesus said to them, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
This speaks of their spreading influence of evil.
A lot of times the leaven is the symbol for the recognizable evil power.
The context of the statements Jesus makes here doesn’t carry that reference.
Jesus is building upon the point that small, and invisible things are necessary for the process and the intended end.
The bread maker would knead into the large batch of dough, the yeast.
Which would cause the whole lump to rise.
Connection:
Jesus is reinforcing the fact that even though you may not be seen:
Your faith is providing the things necessary for the kingdom to grow.
Point:
One commentator Stuart Weber states what Jesus’ point is:
Matthew C. The Kingdom: Surprising Impact (13:31–33)
The point Jesus made is the internal dynamic of rising as opposed to outward, physical organization. His kingdom will grow through an internal, unseen, spiritual dynamic
How does it do that ?
Through you!
Transition:
Believers are given Jesus’ teaching about their roles in the growth of the kingdom; but doesn’t it seem to go a little to slow?
We have become impatient cultures, and don’t really possess the appreciation of waiting for things.
Many times people expect God to just get to the full maturity of His plan!
Through these 2 parables Jesus illustrates something awesome for our faith.
He is reminding us that full growth isn’t going to happen at the moment the seed is sown.
His plan is always victorious!
Don’t fret over your efforts, trust that He is working through your faith to further the kingdom.
This is a precious nugget of truth.
Jesus goes further into the point to reference:
The value of the kingdom (44-46)
The value of the kingdom (44-46)
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Supposedly it was a common practice for people in Palestine to hide treasures.
What happens to that treasure if that person dies?
It is unclaimed and it’s location unknown, unless they told others of the buried location. (or made a map)
Illustration:
Many of you lease land for farming.
Lets say that you lease 500 acres from a person who just inherited their families land after the passing of their loved one.
You begin tilling the field and you till a section that hasn’t been touched by the previous farmer.
You get caught up on something buried in the field.
It ends up being a vault full of gold.
How could you gain possession of those coins?
You would have to own the land.
You do the math and at $12,000/acre you would pay 6 million for that 500 acre farm.
You can’t get that kind of loan; but you do have enough if you liquidate everything you have.
What does this look like to everyone else watching you?
You’ve lost it entirely!
Only they don’t understand the secret you have.
very much like them not understanding the value of the gospel.
If you purchase that field, all the gold coins are yours.
You would have the 6 million back plus another 100 million or so.
That makes it entirely worth the craziness of selling everything.
Connection:
This parable is pointing out 2 different things:
The joy a disciple experiences when finding the value of the Kingdom of heaven.
His willingness to give up all that he has for it.
The field costs him everything he owns represents the:
Losses
Hardships
and persecution a follower of Jesus will have to endure for their faith.
Point:
The man seeking the Kingdom of heaven will find a great treasure and the value is such that he will give up everything for it.
For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?
When we sacrifice our will in place for His, we have found a great treasure and the value will outweigh the hardships we will endure in pursuing it.
And the ridicule for sharing it with others.
Transition:
And keeping with valuable things Jesus builds on the thought of a man accidentally finding the kingdom and being full of joy, to what a person searching for the kingdom, would do for it when they find it, knowing it’s value.
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
Pastor Dave, how is this parable different than the one who finds treasure?
The parable with the pearl illustrates the man who was searching for wealth; where the man with the treasure wasn’t looking for it.
He simply stumbled upon it.
The similarities stop at the “selling all to make the purchase”.
The Merchant was one who understood the values of pearls as he dealt in pearls for a livelihood.
He would be the gold miner who always digs for gold, hoping for that “giant” nugget.
We all understand that our lives have purpose.
Every child at some point comes into the process of searching for fulfillment in their lives, or purpose.
Connection:
The accidental part to discovering the kingdom is a person going their “own” way who by God’s sovereignty stumbles upon the answers to their deep questions and finds fulfillment in the truth.
The one searching for meaning is the merchant knowing the price of the truth they seek.
When they find the truth they ultimately find fulfillment for their life.
This is the idea that each of us has a Christ shaped hole in our heart and in pursuit of filling that gap we shove a lot of wrong things in there.
We are ultimately left unfulfilled and wanting.
Point:
We know the value of truth about the kingdom of heaven and the fulfillment it provides.
We are now given stewardship of the map to fulfillment, to guide others.
We can get rid of everything in our lives for the value of the kingdom.
Transition:
The value of the kingdom is priceless.
The value is constant and doesn’t change from generation to generation.
The cost is also always the same.
No inflation, seeing how it is already the most expensive thing in the world!
There is going to be a point where God will do:
The Gathering (47-50)
The Gathering (47-50)
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The kingdom of heaven keeps records and there is a book where names are written down for those who are Jesus’, and another for those who are not.
Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
This part of the net parallels the point back to the weeds and the wheat.
The righteous must endure some period of coexistence with evil, until God’s final judgment that brings justice and reward.
The net illustrates that all throughout history God has drawn all sorts of people towards the kingdom.
People from many different parts of life, backgrounds and cultures are all drawn into the net.
Point:
Only the final judgment will reveal who was truly committed to the kingdom and how it was wise of them to do so!
The gathering is necessary and will happen when Jesus’ seems fit by His perfect timing.
Connection:
Are you ready for that day or is your name not written in the lambs book of life where you are kept safe from the judgment you deserve?
Conclusion:
Our journey of faith is a gradual process.
You may feel small and insignificant in this world; but you are a mustard seed and leaven.
Your faith will impact the kingdom greatly and be a portion that grows the kingdom for our Lord more than you realize.
The value of the kingdom should bring us great joy and fulfillment.
Are we willing to give up everything in a trade for the kingdom?
Is that cost too high for us?
We will suffer persecution and loss; but what we gain in return is far greater.
As an Indian at one point in history may have said: “Good Trade”.
God knows all that goes on in His world.
There is a coming day when the net will be drawn up to shore for the dividing of those who are His and those who are not.
At the beginning I read stories of those who didn’t realize the worth of something they had possession of,
We forget the great value of the kingdom of heaven.
Don’t forget. Have great Joy and give all you have for it.
The kingdom of heaven is all of these things, and every believer has a part of it!
Pray!