The Message of Jesus-2
The Message of Jesus #2
February 1st and 2nd, 2003
This is what the Kingdom is like #1
Review
Matthew 4
17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
[1]
-Last week we looked at Jesus’ message. It was the Kingdom of God but in a different way than had been anticipated. They were expecting an earthly King because that is what the Old Testament prophecies.
Zechariah 14
2 I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city.
3 Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle. 4 On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. 5 You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake a in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.
6 On that day there will be no light, no cold or frost. 7 It will be a unique day, without daytime or nighttime—a day known to the Lord. When evening comes, there will be light.
8 On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half to the eastern sea b and half to the western sea, c in summer and in winter.
9 The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name.
/[2]/
-They were looking for this. Jesus came saying that the Kingdom is here. The Kingdom is coming but it is here. A secret/invisible Kingdom came as a forerunner of the physical Kingdom.
-Before God comes to subdue the earth and force everyone to be a subject of the Kingdom. He came to offer willing subjection to the Kingdom. He came in love to offer people an opportunity to be a part of reality and submit.
-His will is that none should perish but all be saved. The gospel is to be preached to all the world as a testimony/witness and then the end shall come. Jesus came as a prototype of the Kingdom.
-God is becoming King. We live in the presence of the future.
-Jesus kept saying “this is what the Kingdom is like”.
-He presented unchangeable laws and principles that offered a unique insight into how everything really is.
-This world is finite. The principles of the Word of God are eternal.
-The Word existed before the world began. The Word will remain even though heaven and earth pass away.
-If you want to know how it all works, look for times when Jesus presented a principle and didn’t qualify it to a time or place.
-For instance, In Matthew 24” 15 “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ b spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. [3]
-We can learn from everything in the Bible but in this instance Jesus was being very specific. (Those in Judea should flee.)
-In other cases we see in Jesus’ teaching some universal unchanging laws that apply to all of us.
-The law of gravity applies to all of us. The physical laws are discovered and then we work them to our advantage.
-Newton didn’t create gravity, he discovered it. God created it.
-There are spiritual laws as well as physical laws.
Romans 8
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, a 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. [4]
-The soul than sins shall die. The wages of sin is death. In other words, that is a law that works for everyone.
Job 38:33
33 Do you know the laws of the heavens?
Can you set up God’s f dominion
over the earth?[5]
-In order to set up God’s dominion in your life, you have to know and work the laws.
-The laws work for you or against you.
-Jesus said repent/change the way you are thinking a new world is emerging.
1. SOWING AND REAPING
-God so loved the world so He gave His only begotten Son…
-God wanted people to follow Him. He wanted the world back in its proper place.
-He wanted something so He gave/sowed something.
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. [6]
-In order to receive, God first sowed.
-Religion has called this “Karma”. We’ve heard people say. “What goes around comes around.”
1. RELATIONSHIPS
Luke 6
27 “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ lend to ‘sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”[7]
Message-Luke 6
“But it’s trouble ahead if you think you have it made.
What you have is all you’ll ever get.
“And it’s trouble ahead if you’re satisfied with yourself.
Your self will not satisfy you for long.
“And it’s trouble ahead if you think life’s all fun
and games.
There’s suffering to be met, and you’re going to meet it.
“There’s trouble ahead when you live only for the approval of others, saying what flatters them, doing what indulges them. Popularity contests are not truth contests—look how many scoundrel preachers were approved by your ancestors! Your task is to be true, not popular.
“To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer for that person. If someone slaps you in the face, stand there and take it. If someone grabs your shirt, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously.
“Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! If you only love the lovable, do you expect a pat on the back? Run-of-the-mill sinners do that. If you only help those who help you, do you expect a medal? Garden-variety sinners do that. If you only give for what you hope to get out of it, do you think that’s charity? The stingiest of pawnbrokers does that.
“I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You’ll never—I promise—regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we’re at our worst. Our Father is kind; you be kind.
“Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults—unless, of course, you want the same treatment. Don’t condemn those who are down; that hardness can boomerang. Be easy on people; you’ll find life a lot easier. Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity.”
[8]
-Jesus is showing us a lifestyle of sowing our lives.
-People can say you don’t give to get but you do too. Jesus said to sow the type of behavior and treatment we want.
-That is the “golden rule”. Sow the treatment you want.
-Prosperity is marked by generosity, not possessions.
-Who do we look at and say they were great people? It is the Mother Theresas of this life.
-Everyone knows who she was. Who remembers those who had the biggest places at Palm Beach. They got their reward.
-Jesus even told us how to respond so that people didn’t pull us down to their level.
-When you are mistreated, RAISE THE STANDARD.
-Paul said in Romans 12
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” b says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” c
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
[9]
-You must respond, just like in physics, each action creates a reaction.
-But Jesus said you get to choose the reaction.
2. ON THE JOB
-How many would like to get promoted?
Proverbs 18
NIV 16 A gift opens the way for the giver
and ushers him into the presence of the great.[10]
NASB 16 A man’s gift makes room for him
And brings him before great men.
/[11]/
-What you give makes room for you.
-If you are working for someone and everytime they don’t do what you want you sick the union on them or file a grievance you get a tense atmosphere.
-You can focus totally on what’s in it for you as a business owner or a boss or an employee and all you get is what you get.
-Those people are always making sure they get to make up their 15 minutes and never have to go out of the way.
-That is the world. You can’t get God’s prosperity acting like the world.
-The world focuses on taking.
-We should give more than we are paid for.
-Sow it as a seed. Work as if Jesus were your supervisor.
-Go early, stay late. Give and it will be given to you.
-Control the thermostat with your attitude and generosity.
2.FINANCIALLY
Proverbs 11
TLB
24 It is possible to give freely and become more wealthy, but those who are stingy will lose everything.
25 The generous prosper and are satisfied; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.[12]
Proverbs 3
TLB
/9 Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything your land produces. 10 Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with the finest wine.[13]/
-Generosity is the real mark of prosperity.
Galatians 6
7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature a will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
/[14]/
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[1]The Holy Bible : New International Version, Mt 4:17. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996, c1984.
a Or My mountain valley will be blocked and will extend to Azel. It will be blocked as it was blocked because of the earthquake
b That is, the Dead Sea
c That is, the Mediterranean
[2]The Holy Bible : New International Version, Zec 14:2-9. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996, c1984.
b Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11
[3]The Holy Bible : New International Version, Mt 24:15-17. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996, c1984.
a Some later manuscripts Jesus, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit,
[4]The Holy Bible : New International Version, Ro 8:1-3. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996, c1984.
f Or his; or their
[5]The Holy Bible : New International Version, Job 38:33. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996, c1984.
[6]The Holy Bible : New International Version, Jn 12:24-26. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996, c1984.
[7]The Holy Bible : New International Version, Lk 6:27-38. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996, c1984.
[8]Peterson, Eugene H. The Message : New Testament With Psalms and Proverbs, Lk 6:1. Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress, 1995.
b Deut. 32:35
c Prov. 25:21,22
[9]The Holy Bible : New International Version, Ro 12:17-21. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996, c1984.
[10]The Holy Bible : New International Version, Pr 18:16. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996, c1984.
a Gen 32:20; 1 Sam 25:27
[11]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update, Pr 18:16. LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
[12]Holy Bible : New Living Translation., Pr 11:23-25. Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House, 1997.
[13]Holy Bible : New Living Translation., Pr 3:8-10. Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House, 1997.
a Or his flesh, from the flesh
[14]The Holy Bible : New International Version, Ga 6:7-10. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996, c1984.