Living the Kingdom: Faith, Value, and Transformation

Devotional

Day 1: Judgment is God's Alone

The parable of the weeds in Matthew 13 reminds us that judgment is not our responsibility but God's. In this parable, the owner of the field instructs his servants to let the wheat and weeds grow together until the harvest, at which point he will separate them. This teaches us that we are not to judge who belongs to the kingdom of heaven. Our role is to live out the gospel with humility and patience, trusting that God will sort the wheat from the weeds in His perfect timing. This perspective encourages us to focus on our own spiritual growth and to extend grace to others, knowing that God's ways are higher than ours. [32:20]

Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV): "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Reflection: Is there someone you have been quick to judge? How can you practice extending grace to them this week, trusting God to work in their life?

Day 2: Small Beginnings, Great Impact

The parables of the mustard seed and the leaven illustrate the transformative power of the kingdom of heaven. Though the kingdom starts small, like a mustard seed or a bit of yeast, it grows and influences everything around it. This is a call for us to live out our faith authentically, knowing that even small acts of faith can have significant effects. Our daily walk with Christ should be intentional, as our actions and words can transform our families, communities, and beyond. This encourages us to be mindful of how we live, trusting that God can use even the smallest seeds of faith to bring about great change. [36:51]

Zechariah 4:10 (ESV): "For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. These seven are the eyes of the Lord, which range through the whole earth."

Reflection: What small act of faith can you commit to today that might have a lasting impact on those around you?

Day 3: The Incomparable Worth of the Kingdom

The parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl of great value remind us of the immeasurable worth of the kingdom of heaven. When we truly understand the value of the gospel, we are willing to give up everything to gain it. This challenges us to evaluate what we hold dear and to prioritize the kingdom above all else. It calls us to a life of sacrifice and commitment, recognizing that the eternal rewards far outweigh any temporary sacrifices. As we grasp the true value of the gospel, we are inspired to live with a kingdom-first mindset, letting go of anything that hinders our pursuit of God. [40:49]

Matthew 6:19-21 (ESV): "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Reflection: What is one thing you are holding onto that might be hindering your pursuit of God's kingdom? How can you begin to let it go today?

Day 4: Guarding Against Familiarity

The rejection of Jesus by His hometown and family serves as a warning against becoming too familiar with the gospel to the point of contempt. Familiarity can breed complacency, causing us to take the message of Christ for granted. We must guard against this by continually seeking to deepen our understanding and relationship with Christ. This involves approaching our faith with fresh eyes and an open heart, allowing the Holy Spirit to renew our passion and commitment. By doing so, we can avoid the trap of complacency and remain fervent in our walk with God. [49:00]

Hebrews 2:1 (ESV): "Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it."

Reflection: In what ways have you become too familiar with the gospel? How can you reignite your passion for Christ this week?

Day 5: Persevering in Hope for the Unbelieving

Despite initial rejection, Jesus' family eventually came to believe, offering hope for those we love who have yet to accept the gospel. This encourages us to continue praying and living as a light, trusting that God is at work even when we cannot see it. We are called to persevere in prayer and witness, holding onto the hope that God can transform hearts in His perfect timing. This perspective reminds us that no one is beyond the reach of God's grace and that our faithful prayers and actions can make a difference in the lives of those we care about. [50:41]

2 Peter 3:9 (ESV): "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance."

Reflection: Who in your life has yet to accept the gospel? How can you commit to praying for them and being a light in their life this week?

Sermon Summary

Summary:

Today, we explored the profound truths found in Matthew 13 through 16, focusing on the parables of weeds and mustard seeds. These parables serve as a reminder that the kingdom of heaven is not just a future promise but a present reality that should shape our lives. The parable of the weeds teaches us that it is not our role to judge who is in or out of the kingdom; that is God's responsibility at the end of time. Instead, we are called to live out the gospel, trusting that God will sort the wheat from the weeds in His perfect timing.

The parable of the mustard seed and the leaven illustrate the transformative power of the kingdom. Though it starts small, like a mustard seed or a bit of yeast, it grows and impacts everything around it. This is a call for us to live out our faith in a way that influences our families, communities, and beyond. The parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl of great value remind us of the immeasurable worth of the kingdom. When we truly understand the value of the gospel, we are willing to give up everything to gain it.

We also reflected on the sobering reality that those closest to Jesus, like His hometown and family, initially rejected Him. This serves as a warning against becoming too familiar with the gospel to the point of contempt. Yet, it also offers hope, as Jesus' family eventually came to believe. This encourages us to continue praying and living as a light for those who have yet to accept the gospel.

Key Takeaways

1. Judgment Belongs to God: The parable of the weeds teaches us that it is not our role to determine who is in or out of the kingdom. Our focus should be on living out the gospel and trusting God to sort the wheat from the weeds in His perfect timing. This calls us to humility and patience, recognizing that God's ways are higher than ours. [32:20]
2. The Transformative Power of the Kingdom: Like a mustard seed or yeast, the kingdom of heaven starts small but has a profound impact. Our faith, when lived out authentically, can transform our lives and the lives of those around us. This encourages us to be intentional in our daily walk with Christ, knowing that even small acts of faith can have significant effects. [36:51]
3. The Incomparable Value of the Gospel: The parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl remind us of the immeasurable worth of the kingdom. When we truly grasp the value of the gospel, we are willing to sacrifice everything to gain it. This challenges us to evaluate what we hold dear and to prioritize the kingdom above all else. [40:49]
4. Familiarity Can Breed Contempt: Jesus' own family and hometown initially rejected Him, highlighting the danger of becoming too familiar with the gospel. We must guard against complacency and continually seek to deepen our understanding and relationship with Christ. This serves as a reminder to approach our faith with fresh eyes and an open heart. [49:00]
5. Hope for the Unbelieving: Despite initial rejection, Jesus' family eventually came to believe, offering hope for those we love who have yet to accept the gospel. We are encouraged to continue praying and living as a light, trusting that God is at work even when we cannot see it. This calls us to perseverance in prayer and witness. [50:41]
** [50:41]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[08:02] - Introduction and Epiphany
[11:20] - The Story of James Harrison
[13:20] - Prayer and Introduction to Matthew
[15:59] - Overview of Matthew's Gospel
[17:33] - Parable of the Weeds
[20:06] - Purpose of Parables
[23:04] - Understanding the Parables
[25:22] - Personal Reflection Questions
[27:37] - Explanation of the Weeds Parable
[32:20] - Judgment Belongs to God
[35:04] - Parable of the Nets
[36:51] - Parable of the Mustard Seed
[39:56] - Parable of the Leaven
[40:49] - Parable of the Hidden Treasure
[42:34] - Parable of the Pearl
[49:00] - Rejection in Jesus' Hometown
[54:22] - Communion and Reflection
[57:47] - Closing Prayer

Sermon Clips

I would argue, and I would challenge that, we have something even more powerful than antibodies in our blood. That the blood of Christ that has saved us and in us, the good news of the gospel literally changes billions of lives if we'll let it, not just in this life, but for all of eternity. [00:13:02] (18 seconds)

The parable is all about deciding who's in and who's out in this world who's the son sons of god the sons of light and who's the sons of the devil who is following christ and who is following the evil one who is doing that which is right and that which and against those who are doing that which is lawbreaking and sin you Jesus is at work in the world he's sowing the seed he's he's bringing people to him we see sons of the gospel coming to faith in him but the enemy likewise is sowing lies and half -truths he's encouraging us to to pursue what we want and to pursue ourselves and to do what feels good and he's turning people against god towards him so what does jesus tell us in this parable he tells us this important question he says you want to ask this question as my servant should we sort this out or should we sort this out as my servant should we sort this out as my servant shall we sort this out as my servant shall we figure out the weeds and the wing says no don't do that now for at the end of time that is the day of judgment i will send out the angels they will bring the the harvest in and separate the weeds from the weed now those who are weeds will be cast into a fiery furnace a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth it's it's matthew's continual way of referring to hell that there is a day of judgment that comes but jesus is saying in this parable that day is not today do not go go try to do that today. Do not go to try to figure out what is wheat and what is weeds out there, who are sons of the kingdom and who are sons of not of the kingdom because if you do, you will likely tear up the good and the bad with it. [00:29:19] (89 seconds)

Jesus is essentially saying it's not for us to figure out who's in and who's out because if we do, we're liable to do more damage than good. [00:31:26] (9 seconds)

So what is it that Jesus wants us to hear, to understand, and maybe most importantly, to turn from in these two parables? He wants us to hear that it isn't our job. He wants us to understand that we far too often take his job away from him or try. And he wants us to turn from doing so and trust him with the people around us. [00:35:30] (23 seconds)

The kingdom in your life, the kingdom work in somebody's life that begins with faith has a wide impact in your life, changing who you are in your family's life, in your community, and even on strangers. Christians are far from perfect, but on the whole, their impact is far better than non -Christians. [00:37:20] (22 seconds)

The good news of the gospel, though small, has a tremendous impact. Think about just the story that's unfolded in Matthew. There was a little baby born in a very small town in modern -day Israel, a manger, who changed the world as we know it. And still to this day is changing lives in Asia, Africa, Europe, and America. [00:40:05] (23 seconds)

You probably have heard several stories like this. I think of, Nabeel Qureshi, who died a few years ago from stomach cancer. But he grew up in a Muslim family. His dad was a well -respected imam or teacher in the Muslim community. And at one point later in his life, he's just, he's hungry for truth, and he's pursuing truth. He cries out, God, show me what's true. And he discovers the gospel and realizes that's what's true. [00:43:44] (24 seconds)

So whether people stumble upon the gospel or they're surprised by the gospel or they're searching for truth the gospel becomes the most important thing in somebody's life the truth of god's love for them and what he's done in jesus christ for them as jim elliott who's one of five missionaries who died taking the good news of jesus christ to a tribe in south america once said he says he is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose both the man who found the treasure in the field and the merchant who found the pearl realized that and if you get to know muslims and jews that's what they discover i might never talk to my family again i might never talk to my neighbors again i might have to leave my country because of the gospel but it is worth it and i've talked to enough of you to know that some of you have come out of christian denominations that were convinced that they had it right that the fact that you were no longer fill in the blank catholic episcopalian anglican presbyterian pentecostal whatever the fact that you were no longer that meant you were no longer a believer and for some of you choosing christ over denomination meant you lost family and that's a hard thing but it's worth it you might be a philippians this last summer paul's words in philippians 3 he writes this indeed i count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing jesus christ my lord for his sake i've suffered the loss of all things and i i count them as rubbish in comparison in order that i might gain christ this is the excitement of the man who found the treasure in the field this is the joy of the merchant who found the pearl this is the truth of everyone who discovers the good news of jesus christ so what's the message of these four small parables i would argue that among other things it's this that our focus is not who's in who's out our focus is to live out the good news of the kingdom that changed our lives and believe that it will change other people's lives as well that it literally is the best thing someone could ever find and as a result of finding it we are better off for it and the world around us has changed because of it there's a young man uh not young anymore um who i met recently and part of his story is i had the worst relationship with my in -laws and then i came to know jesus and now it's the sweetest relationship in my life the gospel changes you but it changes the people around you this is the call this section the thing that we're called to hear to understand and to act on is that we are called to to be lights in this world aromas for christ a fragrant offering we're called to be trees that people rest in that they might discover either through surprise or through seeking the good news of jesus christ [00:44:49] (171 seconds)

I want to speak to those of you who have grown up in the church. Who have grown up in Christian families. Who have grown up around the Gospel. And I want to warn you that familiarity does at times breed contempt. A familiarity with Jesus caused them to turn their ears off. Shut their eyes to him. [00:49:32] (20 seconds)

So what's sobering here, though, and we can't stop here because this is not where many of us live our lives, is that those closest to us often don't hear, don't understand, and don't believe. Take a look at verse 53 with me real quick. And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there and coming to his hometown, he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? [00:51:15] (26 seconds)

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