The Secrets of the Kingdom III

Isaiah 55: 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. 12 You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. 13 Instead of the thorn bush will grow the pine tree, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord’s renown, for an everlasting sign, which will not be destroyed.”

Joy, Peace, a song, rejoicing, and a harvest

Comes down from heaven, Causes fruit to grow, Seed to farmer, bread to eater, that’s how my word is…

Mark 4:9 Then Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” 10 When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11 He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you (who believe). But to those on the outside everything is said in parables … 13 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable?

John 1: 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. 6 There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

God’s People are like seeds from Heaven

14 The farmer sows the word. 15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 Other (people), like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Still other (people), like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20 Other (people), like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown.”

Matthew 13: 37 (24-29 is the parable) He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one,

The Kingdom of God is in you!

Three secrets of a happy life

Discover your uniqueness as a believer

What makes you unique?

A new Creation

2 Corinthians 5: 14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. 16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:

God is in you and he loves you * You are different than anything (anyone) that God has created
There is a new plan on the inside of you that can only be discovered if you are planted.

Be Authentic

Be who God created
Be yourself - not a clone

We can all learn to be nicer, better mannered etc, but how are you really? People are attracted to reality.

Be consistently YOU
Be true to yourself

Don’t be afraid to say no!

Give yourself away then you will enjoy life (the seed has to be planted)

When you give to others, then you have a part in their lives
You reap what you sow, you want life? Give yourself away!

Luke 6: 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.

John 13: 7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

Matthew 10: 39 Those who try to hold on to their lives will give up true life. Those who give up their lives for me will hold on to true life.

John 12: 24 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 25 The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

Have we tried to invest our lives into others just to be rejected, destroyed, used, abused, given false hopes, see our relationships choked out by the things in this world? * Ground#1 not listening to us at all, do not love us.
Ground#2 the slightest troubles come, difficulties and they are gone.
Ground#3 other things become more important and the relationships get choked and never produce fruit.
Ground#4 But there will be fruit, yes people who will listen and their fruit will make all the difference.

Mark 4: 26 He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28 All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”