Kingdom First: Session #7

MATTHEW CHAPTER THIRTEEN

THE PARABLES OF THE KINGDOM

3 QUESTIONS

1. What is God saying?

2. What would it look like if it were happening?

3. What do I need to do about it?

THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER

1. The kingdom of God comes as we respond to the message: even if that response is a decision to pursue understanding.


2. The kingdom of God comes as we allow the Word of God to take root in our lives and begin to shape the way we think and what we do in the face of the testing experiences of ordinary life. (taking root in our souls)


3. The kingdom of God comes as the word becomes the primary influence in our lives over all of the things that influence people (cares of this word and the desire for wealth).


4. The real indication that the kingdom of God has happened is when the message not only changes our lives but MULTIPLIES through us. (thirty, sixty and a hundred fold)

FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD TO COME……

1. You have to make sure you understand what the word of God means.

2. You have to allow that word to stand up against the opposition you will experience.

3. You have to make sure you allow that word to have priority over worldly cares and passions.

4. You have to understand that it is only fulfilled as it becomes part of you and is then multiplied through you to others.

FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD TO COME……

1. Do you know what it means?2. Can you deal with the trouble it will cause?3. Does it have primary influence over cares and

pursuit of wealth?4. Who have you shared it with?

FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS ABOUT HOW THE KINGDOM OF GOD WORKS

The parable of the weeds

MATTHEW 13:24-30

FIRST: GET ALL THE INFORMATIONREAD READ TELL/CHECK, TELL/CHECK

PART ONE: THE STORY ITSELFREAD READ TELL/CHECK, TELL/CHECK

24He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. 26So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ 28He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”

GETTING ALL THE INFORMATION

1. The farmer who sows the seed

2. The field where the seed is sown

3. The plants from the good seed

4. The sower of the weed seed

5. The weed plants

6. The harvest time

PART TWO: THE EXPLANATION GIVEN BY JESUS WHEN THE DISCIPLES ASKED TO KNOW WHAT IT MEANT

READ READ TELL/CHECK, TELL/CHECK

36Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” 37He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, 42and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.






5. The weed plants

6. The harvest time

1. Jesus, the Son of Man






5. The weed plants

6. The harvest time


2. The whole world or the whole of the community we live in






5. The weed plants

6. The harvest time


2. Message sown everywhere in the world

3. Followers of Jesus






5. The weed plants

6. The harvest time


2. The whole world or the whole of the community we live in

3. Followers of Jesus4. The devil






5. The weed plants

6. The harvest time




5. Unbelievers






5. The weed plants

6. The harvest time




5. Unbelievers

6. The final judgment at the end of the age

PUTTING THE REVELATORY INFORMATION INTO THE STORY

24He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to JESUS CHRIST who shared the message of the kingdom to everyone living in the world25but while his men were sleeping, his devil came and shared the principles of the kingdom of this world among the wheat and went away. 26So when the different seeds had their effect within the different people it became obvious that they were living by different principles and values27And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’

28He said to them, ‘This is the work of the devil. He has come with a different message and it produces a different plant with different fruit’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and separate the believers from the unbelievers?’ 29But he said, ‘No, because you will never fully know who is a believer and who isn’t and you might get it wrong. 30Let both grow together until the end of the age when the final judgment comes. At that time it will be totally clear as to which is which. Those who have continued to reject the message of heaven will be thrown into the fire and those who have embraced it and followed it to fulfillment will be gathered into my barn.”

3 QUESTIONS

1. What is God saying?

2. What would it look like if it were happening?

3. What do I need to do about it?

WHAT IS GOD SAYING?

1.In any place or sphere there will be people whose lives are the product of the message and power of the kingdom of God and people whose live are the product of the message of the adversary (kingdom of this world).

2.In many cases it will be impossible to tell which kingdom a person represents just by observation alone or by listening to what they say.

3.It is part of the nature of the kingdom of God for these two plants to remain dwelling in the same field alongside one another. It was never the intention of God that “kingdom people” should be secluded from “this world”

WHAT WOULD THIS LOOK LIKE?if it were fully happening

1. 1. I/we would understand that we are meant to be IN the world even though we are called to be separate FROM the world.

2. I/we would understand that this is a redemptive principle, not just a pragmatic one. Weeds can’t see wheat if it is always in some pristine field all on its own.

3. I/we would learn to fully live as servants of God in this world and not be intimidated or compromised by it. Learn how to live free while we are among prisoners.

4. Knowing the ultimate outcome I/we would take seriously the call to bring the message of the kingdom so that we could see weeds become transformed into wheat.

WHAT DO I NEED TO DO?so that it will be multiplied through me to others

1. Become aware of how I/we have been influenced and compromised by the kingdom of this world so that we would “look like wheat, not weeds.”

2. Learn how to live freely as sons and daughters of the kingdom of God while as we live and work alongside sons and daughters of the kingdom of this world.

3. Learn how to share the message of the kingdom so that “weeds” get a chance at becoming “wheat.”

Spiritual

Kingdom First: Session #7