God’s Kingdom

Matthew 13:44 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, 46 who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. 47 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, 48 which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, 50 and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth." 51 Jesus said to them, "Have you understood all these things?" They said to Him, "Yes, Lord." 52 Then He said to them, "Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old." 53 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there. 54 And when He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, "Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55 Is this not the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? 56 And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?" 57 So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house." 58 Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.  

The essential question about “the kingdom of heaven” is: who owns it?

Ownership in every economy is established in one of two ways: by creation of an entity, or by the purchase of it.

On both counts, God establishes Himself as Owner.

If you are looking for a Creator, (AKA – YOUR Creator,) you have two choices: either you believe you emerged from nothing, and that nothing caused everything to exist, or you believe there was a cause for your creation – and that cause is God. If you believe in the only rational position, which holds God as Creator of all things, (including you,) than He is also your Owner.

We know once creation was accomplished, creation itself fell under the control of Satan. In essence, Satan stole creation away from God, and established himself as ruler of the earthly kingdom. That this has taken place is inarguable when you consider the nature of the world - which groans in torment and travail, and is filled with crime and disease, and poverty, and natural disaster. Every day people die of starvation in a world that yields itself to the ownership of Satan by theft. Satan makes people slaves to sin, and then he drags them down to hell in the midst of evil, tormented lives - into a condition of eternal torment. (All the while either blaming God for the torment Satan causes, or deceiving people into thinking God does not exist.) Either way, Satan wins.

For those who will allow it, God re-establishes ownership of His creation – this time through purchase. The cost to God to re-establish ownership, and to purchase the lives of those Satan has made slaves to sin is incredible.

Jesus here tells us exactly what God the Father was willing to pay. Everything. His most precious possession. His only Begotten Son.

Since we know the price willingly paid establishes to value of the entity in the eye of the purchaser, what does that tell us about how God values His Church?

-Pastor Bill

Facing Opposition

Matthew 13:24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?' 28 He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?' 29 But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn." ' " 31 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, 32 which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches." 33 Another parable He spoke to them: "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened." 34 All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, 35 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: "I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world." 36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field." 37 He answered and said to them: "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. 39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. 40 Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

The last thing you may expect to face within the confines of The Church is opposition. The Church is perhaps thought to be the one environment where opposition is never found or experienced.

But Jesus teaches otherwise. In fact, one of the greatest clues we have that in referring to “the kingdom of heaven” Jesus is speaking of The Church, is revealed in the fact so much turbulence is to be expected in this earthly ‘kingdom of heaven’ that it can only apply to an earthly kingdom – therefore the ‘kingdom’ Jesus refers to IS The Church.

After all, one of the great things about the eternal kingdom we long for is the fact there will be NO opposition there. (This is in part why it will be ‘heavenly’ to be there.)

But here, in this life, Jesus tells us to expect great opposition. He says there will be tares in the crop, birds resting in the limbs of the tree, and leaven being mixed in with the true doctrine of His Word, all brought into The Church by Satan.

The enemy we face as believers in Christ never rests. To think that we may, even in The Church, is preposterous. The enemy will do everything he can to prevent unbelievers from coming to church in the first place, and then upon arriving he will do everything he can to make their church experience in-genuine.

-Pastor Bill

Soil Condition

Matthew 13:1 On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. 2 And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. 3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: "Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" 10 And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?" 11 He answered and said to them, "Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: 'Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; 15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.' 16 "But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; 17 for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. 18 "Therefore hear the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. 20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. 22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. 23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."

When it comes to productive agriculture, there are many important ingredients, chief among them the fertility of the seed, and the condition of the soil.

If you have ever been involved in any kind of gardening project you are already aware of this. Rain and sunlight are also hugely important, but without soil a seed remains dead, and without ‘good’ soil, a seed may remain dormant.

In Matthew 13, known of as ‘the kingdom chapter’ in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus compares this aspect of agriculture to how it is people will come into His Church.

One of the main things we must point out is that entry into His Church ONLY takes place through His Gospel. There is no other way. His Gospel is His Word, (which, in this case, is the seed.) The condition of the soil the ‘seed’ of His Word lands upon makes all the difference in whether or not a person enters His Church, and thereby eternal life.

-Pastor Bill

Next of Kin

Matthew 12:38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." 39 But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. 42 The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here. 43 "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. 44 Then he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation." 46 While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him. 47 Then one said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You." 48 But He answered and said to the one who told Him, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?" 49 And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother."

Those closest to God are also closest to His Son.

This is the point Jesus is making at the end of this passage. The relationship which comes by the flesh does not take priority over that which comes by the Spirit of God.

This would be a mystery certainly, as we have always considered our mother, father and our brothers and sisters to be our closest kin. Jesus teaches otherwise. There is a closer relationship than that.

The Holy Spirit, as we have learned, is indivisible. When the Holy Spirit is alive in the heart of any man, it is the same Holy Spirit which is alive in the heart of another man. Even though natural birth may separate those men genetically, the second birth unites them Spiritually, and the unity of the Holy Spirit brings them closer relationship-wise than those who have been born once may share genetically.

Welcome to the FAMILY of God. When the Bible says we are all “sons and daughters of the Living God,” the Bible means what it says. So does Jesus when He says, “whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”

Jesus refers to those who are being born again as His disciples, and those who will be born again as His disciples. These are those who will to do the will of The Father, Who is in heaven. This is the closest relationship possible among those born of woman. This relationship only comes by being born again.

Note the distance that exists in the relationship between the Son of God and the Pharisees. (Those who seek a sign of His identification.) Those born of the Spirit have the sign of His identity written upon their hearts, and require no more than that.

-Pastor Bill

Divided House

Matthew 12:22 Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. 23 And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?" 24 Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons." 25 But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. 28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. 30 He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad. 31 "Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come. 33 "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. 34 Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. 36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

You have probably heard that there is only one church. (One true church, that is - and that IS true.)

The church cannot be divided, and anything that seeks to divide it would not be of the church - and - it could not be true.

In this sense then, what does it mean that the Pharisees accuse Jesus of being part of Satan’s kingdom? Of healing by Satan’s power?

Jesus, sensitive to the underlying meaning of their accusation, in turn accuses them of being exactly who they accuse Him of being.

Who can heal but God? Who, apart from God, could do the things Jesus is doing? This is all according to the prophets, and it would be against the words of their prophets to think or speak otherwise. It is therefore the Pharisees who are dividing God’s House, not Jesus.

There is a real present danger in accusing Jesus of anything, let alone of being against God, especially when we see Him doing the works of God.

By Whose power does One perform the works of God?

To this, Jesus says forthrightly, “You are either for Me or you are against Me.” There is no middle ground, and there is no place for both. YOU must decide Whose side you are on.

-Pastor Bill

Lord of All

Matthew 12:1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, "Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!" 3 But He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? 6 Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple. 7 But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." 9 Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue. 10 And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"--that they might accuse Him. 11 Then He said to them, "What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? 12 Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." 13 Then He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other. 14 Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him. 15 But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all. 16 Yet He warned them not to make Him known, 17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: 18 "Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit upon Him, And He will declare justice to the Gentiles. 19 He will not quarrel nor cry out, Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets. 20 A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench, Till He sends forth justice to victory; 21 And in His name Gentiles will trust."

Now we begin to see the intensity of the opposition Jesus faced ramped up. He begins to have direct face-offs with the Pharisees themselves.

Prior to this, the opposition of the Pharisees had been more indirect. Either they had sent their representatives, or they had just happened to see Jesus do something they chose to object to as it happened. Now they were actively seeking to oppose Jesus, and to point out every flaw they could find.

When a person does only good, it becomes difficult to point out their flaws, doesn’t it? This has always been the position of Jesus, and it becomes more incredible the more you think about it that anyone would or could oppose the work of Jesus - but that was the case then even as it is now. Think about it, Jesus only did good works. What is there to oppose?

You’re going to have to slice some pretty thin hairs to find anything to complain about, but that just happened to be the Pharisees’ specialty. (Splitting hairs, that is.) And so they begin to criticize Jesus simply because they are looking to be critical. They critique the way He eats on the Sabbath. They critique Him for performing a miracle on the Sabbath.

Jesus’ response is fascinating. “The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath,” which means He is also the Lord of them. They would seek to kill Him for that statement.

-Pastor Bill

I See You

Matthew 11: 7 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. 9 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. 10 For this is he of whom it is written: 'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.' 11 "Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear! 16 But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, 17 and saying: 'We played the flute for you, And you did not dance; We mourned to you, And you did not lament.' 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' But wisdom is justified by her children."

Far from being embarrassed or angered by John sending two of his disciples to ask Jesus if He is the Messiah, Jesus speaks admiringly of John.

Just so we don’t get it wrong either.

You see if you had been part of the crowd of Jesus’ followers, the fact that John was now questioning who Jesus was might possibly have turned you against John, or perhaps made you think less of him.

Quite the contrary, Jesus says.

There is not only no need to doubt John, (for his sudden expression of doubt about Jesus,) but there is instead every reason to admire this wonderful man.

Jesus informs us He is very aware of all of John’s accomplishments, and this in turn reminds us He is also very aware of ours.

“When you went out to see John, what did you go out to see?” Jesus says. “Some softie? Some neophyte who was not up to his assignment? Some pretender, who only played the role so he could become famous and wealthy?”     

Not at all, Jesus says. He performed everything God told him to do in exactly the way God told him to do it. He completely accomplished God’s mission and desire for his life. How many of us can say that about ourselves? How many of us would Jesus say that about?

But here the lesson also takes a fascinating turn. Here is John, a prophet. “More than a prophet,” Jesus says. “The greatest of ALL the prophets.”

Then Jesus says, (quite remarkably,) “He who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” This tells us much about the greatness of the ‘born-again life,’ doesn’t it?

-Pastor Bill