10 Jan 2007
Parables and Principles of the Kingdom of God!
Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all of these other things will be added unto you. Matt 6:33
8 Parables of the Kingdom – Matthew Chapter 13
- Parable of the Sower – Soil determines the harvest
The four sorts of grounds: It shows what are the Soil conditions that restrict or enhance the harvest. The seed is the word of the kingdom, the Sower is Jesus Christ or His ministers, and the ground is the hearts of men and women.
- Seed along path: Some will not even listen.
- Seed on Rocky Ground: Some will accept it, but will soon fall away… They have no root in themselves, when times of trial come they come to nothing.
- Seed on Thorny Ground: Some will hold on longer, but gradually lose interest. The stones spoiled the root, the thorns spoil the fruit… the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches or honors or pleasures or power…
- Seed on Good Soil: Producing good crop in varying degrees… 30,60,100 fold harvest
- Parable of the Wheat and Tares – God works in mixture, God is in control, and God is just.
Matt 13:24-30 and expounded in 36-43. This parable is intended to show that there would be a mixture of good and bad in the
- Kingdom on earth,
- In the Church on earth,
- In its ministers- true and false prophets.
- This is mixture will continue till the great separation between them in the judgment day…
- It also shows that in our lives as Christians we will have good and bad things, good deeds and sins… The flesh and spirit are in opposition up until our death!
- The Weeds characterize hypocrites, and all profane and wicked people…
- The enemy that sowed the tares is the devil
- There is a last day…
- The angels will come to gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks and those who commit lawlessness…
- They will be cast into the furnace of fire… where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth…
- This is speaking of end of time and the final judgment of God…
- Parable of the Mustard Seed – The power of the Kingdom
Matt 13:31-32
- The Kingdom of God can enter as a very small seed…
- But the seed is very powerful...
- In an individual or in the world at large the small seed will reach vast proportions…
- The small seed will leaven all it comes in contact with including...
- Institutions
- Philosophies,
- Governments,
- And even our own lives…
- It may start small but it will grow up to fill our entire life on earth, and in eternity.
- Parable of the leaven – The influence of the Kingdom
Matt 13:33 (16:11-12)
- The Kingdom is like leaven Hidden in the dough…
- Even though it is hidden it is working…
- It is invading every part of the dough…
- It works speedily, yet gradually…
- It is strong and irresistible…
- The word of God is “quick and powerful” (Heb 4:12)
- The Kingdom is silent and secret…
- Hide the leaven in the dough and the world cannot hinder it from communicating its taste and influence.
- No one sees how it is done… but little by little the whole lump is leavened
- Parable of the Treasure in a field – Value of the Kingdom
Matt 13:44
- The Kingdom of God is so great and wonderful that when you truly see it you are filled with great joy
- The man who discovers the Kingdom will be willing to venture all and quit all in order to possess it
- The treasure of the Kingdom is Jesus Christ Himself
- The field in which Christ is hidden is the Church
- In order to have the treasure you must buy the field
- Christ is the treasure of great value to the field… The field is the treasure of great value to Christ
- Parable of the Costly Pearl – Cost of the Kingdom
Matt 13:45-46
- Men and Women are constantly seeking pearls: Riches, Honor, Culture, Pleasure, Power, and Knowledge…
- But the discovery of Jesus Christ is the discovery of the pearl of great price.
- What Christ offers will cost you everything…
- What Christ offers is worth giving up everything in order to obtain it…
- Parable of the Dragnet – God sorts things out in the end
Matt 13:47-50
- The Kingdom is like a fisherman’s net dragging the sea…
- When you are seeking first the Kingdom you are constantly fishing…
- The Net gathers every kind of fish
- In the net (The visible Church) there will be a great deal of trash and rubbish…weeds and slime…along with every kind of fish
- When the net is full and dragged into shore there is a sorting time…
- Hypocrites and true Christians shall then be parted…
- The good fish shall be kept and preserved… the bad shall be cast into the furnace of fire….
- Parable of the Treasure Old and New – The kingdom of God is eternal… always among us.
Matt 13:51-52
This was given as direction to His disciples to make use of the teachings He was giving them… He calls them scribes who have become disciples of the Kingdom of Heaven…
- He says they are like householders
- Who bring forth of their treasures things both old and new…
- Old experiences and foundations
- Together with new light and understanding…
- Become valuable to each days tasks…
- We must not be content with just old revelation… we must seek to always be adding new understanding as the Holy Spirit teaches…
Admonitions about the Kingdom
1. Seek first the kingdom - Matt 6:33
2. Enter the Kingdom like children – Matt 18:3
3. Receive the Kingdom –
4. The Kingdom is at hand – Matt 3:2
5. The Kingdom is nigh unto you – Luke 10-9
6. We inherit the Kingdom – Matt25: 34
7. We are heirs of the Kingdom - James 2:5
8. It is the Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom – Luke 12:32
9. We are to pray … “Thy Kingdom Come” – Matt 6:10
10. The Kingdom cannot be shaken – Heb 12:28
- The Kingdom belongs to such as these – Matt 19:14
- The gospel is the good news of the Kingdom – Luke 9:2, Matt 24:14
- It is impossible for a rich man to enter the Kingdom – Matt 19:23
- We are translated into the Kingdom – Col 1:13
- Through trials we enter the Kingdom – Acts 14:22
- The Kingdom will know no end – Luke 1:33 1Pet 1:11
- The scepter of the Kingdom is Righteousness – Heb 1:8
- We are called into His Kingdom – 1Th 2:12
- The Kingdom is not in word but in power - 1Cor 4:20
- The Kingdom is Righteousness, peace and joy, in the Holy Spirit – Rom 14:17
- We have been granted to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom – Luke 8:10
Statements about the Kingdom of God
- The Kingdom of God is at hand when someone on earth defers to it’s covenant, believes it’s promises, abides by it’s principles, embraces it’s King
- The Kingdom of God is at hand whenever Divine authority meets human submission.
- The Kingdom of God is established when the hearts of men are filled with the heart of God.
- In the simplest terms, the Kingdom of God is the rulership of the Father, or the Fathers rule!
- The Kingdom works by principles. The discovery and application of these principles is the chief goal of men and women of wisdom.
7. Wisdom, true wisdom is the prince of the Kingdom of God!
Steve Youngblood
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