Razor Planet
Living in the Kingdom
Kingdom Growth
Luke 17:20-21; Mark 4:26-32; Matthew 13:19-23
Kingdom of God is an important subject that doesn't get the attention that Jesus gave it.
20% of Jesus’ teachings was about the K
3 xs Jesus mentions the church
120 xs Jesus mentions the K
Start
After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” Mark 1:14-15 (NIV)
End
Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.” John 18:36 (NIV)
The kingdom of God is any time and any place when the rule of God is on display. Max Grace
Jesus taught His disciples to pray – Our Father … Your kingdom come.
When you pray that the will of God be done on earth as it is in heaven, envision conflict being resolved, marriages and families healed, truth told and people faithful to one another, initiatives that break through the vicious cycles of retaliation, and love that creates new community among people through forgiveness, reconciliation, and peacemaking. -- Glen H. Stassen, Living the Sermon on the Mount
Ultimately that is what life can look like when people bend their knee to the King and learn to live by kingdom truth and values.
Conflict gets resolved
Marriages get healed
Families get mended
People tell the truth
Is it any wonder that Jesus proclaimed:
Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. Matthew 6:33 (NIV)
Question: In a conflict – ‘Am I seeking the kingdom of God or my agenda?’
Middle of a marital spat … Time out – ask the question
Middle of a parenting issue
Something at work
Extended family
Am I taking this position because of the KOG or is this my agenda?
I'm going to be right.
They need to know who's in charge
At that moment my Mom would say: ‘You're getting too big for your britches.’
How does the KOG work so that I experience this'd?
How does the Kingdom of God grow and expand in a person’s heart and life?
That's what I want to talk about today.
Kingdom Growth
Go straight to Jesus
Some of the Pharisees asked Jesus, "When will the kingdom of God come?"
Jesus answered, "God's kingdom is coming, but not in a way that you will be able to see with your eyes. People will not say, 'Look, here it is!' or, 'There it is!' because God's kingdom is within you." Luke 17:20-21 (NCV)
Then Jesus said, "The kingdom of God is like someone who plants seed in the ground. Night and day, whether the person is asleep or awake, the seed still grows, but the person does not know how it grows. By itself the earth produces grain. First the plant grows, then the head, and then all the grain in the head. When the grain is ready, the farmer cuts it, because this is the harvest time." Mark 4:26-29 (NCV)
Matthew 13 – Jesus called the Gospel/Scriptures – word of the kingdom
Night and day
Whether the person is asleep or awake
I could take credit for the Kingdom growing in my life during the day BUT not at night!
The seed grows
‘I don't get anything from reading the Scriptures…’
The Scriptures work while you are sleeping
Life is not in the soil
Life is in the seed
The seed takes what it needs from the soil
Leaves what it doesn't need
By itself
Automatos – self acting – English word ‘automatic’
A seed only flourishes by staying in the ground in which it is sown. When you keep digging the seed up to check whether it is growing, it will never grow fruit. Think about yourself as a little seed planted in rich soil. All you have to do is stay there and trust that the soil contains everything you need to grow. This growth takes place even when you do not feel it. Be quiet, acknowledge your powerlessness, and have faith that one day you will know how much you have received. Henri Nouwen
Discouragement – A person yields their heart and control of their life to Jesus
Change doesn't happen as quickly as they were told/hoped
Night and day the seed grows by itself
Jesus tells another story:
Then Jesus said, "How can I show you what the kingdom of God is like? What story can I use to explain it? The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, the smallest seed you plant in the ground. But when planted, this seed grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants. It produces large branches, and the wild birds can make nests in its shade." Mark 4:30-32 (NCV)
Bible teachers see this teaching having different messages – evangelism, judgment, growth
However someone understands the story – the message of God initiating and superintending growth is clear
Starts really small
Imperceptible
Insignificant and weak
That is why some people think that faith/serving Jesus “doesn't work”
It starts so small
Removal of some guilt
A change of attitude
Looking at life a little different
Over time as much as you allow it to change you - it will change you
Eventually if you water the seed and protect it
Change how you look at life and death
Marriage
Parenting
Work
Finances
Neighbor and enemies
The seed has to be watered
The seedling has to be protected
Life and time and trials and struggles have a way of causing the heart to dry, crust over and eventually harden
In some ways the only thing that we can do is make sure that the soil of our heart is soft and ready
Our task is to continually keep the soil of our heart soft and prepared
Here’s one of the ways that hardening happens
Comparison/Comparing
We all do it
We start really young
‘My finger painting is better than anyone else in the class.’
My house with my neighbor’s house
My job, my car, my wife, my salary – with other people’s job, car, wife, salary
Comparison sends people off both sides of the road
One side of the road is the ditch of jealousy, envy and malice
Off the other side of the road is the ditch of pride, arrogance and self-righteousness
Comparison is the root of jealousy and envy and malice
Jealousy – I want that
Envy – I don’t want them to have that
Malice – Wishing or planning harm towards someone else
Comparison is the root of pride, arrogance and self-righteousness
I’m better than… CS Lewis – problem isn’t that we are good at something – I have to be better
Look at how much more ‘righteous’ I am than …
Social Media
My rough draft life to someone else’s finished paper
My ‘staycation’ to their ‘vacation’
My real weight to their picture taken from the right angle/best shot ever photo
Here’s what happens:
I compare my ‘vacation’ to their ‘staycation’ and I get an attitude – either jealous/proud
I compare my ‘salary’ to their ‘salary’ and I get an attitude – arrogance – ‘I'm better than they are…’
Comparison is one of the reminders that you and I need a Savior!
Not just a Savior when we began following
We need a Savior today
Jesus one more time seeds and growth:
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Large crowds gathered around him, so he got into a boat and sat down, while the people stood on the shore.
Then Jesus used stories to teach them many things. He said: “A farmer went out to plant his seed. While he was planting, some seed fell by the road, and the birds came and ate it all up. Some seed fell on rocky ground, where there wasn't much dirt. That seed grew very fast, because the ground was not deep. But when the sun rose, the plants dried up, because they did not have deep roots. Some other seed fell among thorny weeds, which grew and choked the good plants. Some other seed fell on good ground where it grew and produced a crop. Some plants made a hundred times more, some made sixty times more, and some made thirty times more.” Matthew 13:1-8 (NCV)
What is the seed that fell by the road? That seed is like the person who hears the message about the kingdom but does not understand it. The Evil One comes and takes away what was planted in that person's heart.
And what is the seed that fell on rocky ground? That seed is like the person who hears the teaching and quickly accepts it with joy. But he does not let the teaching go deep into his life, so he keeps it only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the teaching he accepted, he quickly gives up.
And what is the seed that fell among the thorny weeds? That seed is like the person who hears the teaching but lets worries about this life and the temptation of wealth stop that teaching from growing. So the teaching does not produce fruit in that person's life.
But what is the seed that fell on the good ground? That seed is like the person who hears the teaching and understands it. That person grows and produces fruit, sometimes a hundred times more, sometimes sixty times more, and sometimes thirty times more. Matthew 13:19-23 (NCV)
Part of protecting the seed
Forces of darkness – the EVIL ONE – (Jesus did not shy away from talking about the Evil One)
Trouble or persecution – EXTERNAL PRESSURES that come … They will do their best to keep the seed from taking root – gives up quickly
Worries about this life and temptation of wealth – INTERNAL PRESSURES … stops the teaching from growing
Jesus want to take over your entire life – everything about you – not leaving even one patch of ground that isn't under his kingship
The seed planted – the ‘word of the Kingdom’ will take over
Plant more seeds – One Daffodil or a whole field of daffodil’s
Water it … Water it … Water it
Protect it … Protect it … Protect it
Move to Renton
Living by myself
Brand new to serving Jesus
Break time
In the evening
In the morning
The more seeds you plant – the fewer weeds that can grow.
Your growth as a follower of Jesus is directly connected to the time you spend getting into the Word of God and getting the Word of God into you
I know that people don’t want to hear that … but there are no shortcuts in the long run.
If you’ve not invited Jesus to plant the seed of the KoG in your heart/life
I want to give you that opportunity right now
Jesus planting the seed is not the end – it is the start
The seed then grows – day/night, automatically
Water it, plant more seeds, nourish it.
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