10.4.16 Bible Study: Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven
Matthew 13: 10-15 (MSG)Why Tell Stories?10The disciples came up and asked, “Why do you tell stories?”11-15He replied, “You’ve been given insight into God’s kingdom. You know how it works. Not everybody has this gift, this insight; it hasn’t been given to them. Whenever someone has a ready heart for this, the insights and understandings flow freely. But if there is no readiness, any trace of receptivity soon disappears. That’s why I tell stories: to create readiness, to nudge the people toward receptive insight. In their present state they can stare till doomsday and not see it, listen till they’re blue in the face and not get it. I don’t want Isaiah’s forecast repeated all over again:Your ears are open but you don’t hear a thing.Your eyes are awake but you don’t see a thing.The people are blockheads!They stick their fingers in their earsso they won’t have to listen;They screw their eyes shutso they won’t have to look,so they won’t have to deal with me face-to-faceand let me heal them.(Click here to listen to the KJV.)
Introduction
The message of the Kingdom of God is the most The message of the Kingdom of God is the most important news ever delivered to the human race. Why? If you do not understand the Kingdom, it is almost impossible for you to understand the Bible and the real message it brings.
The Kingdom of God constantly makes mention of the term “mystery” which means something formerly hidden, but now revealed, a secret known or revealed only to the initiated, which people cannot understand except by special or divine revelation. In the New Testament, the word mystery denotes something that people could never know by their own understanding and that demands a revelation from GOd. The secret thoughts, plans, and dispensations of God remain hidden from unregenerate mankind but are revealed to all believers. Christ uses the term parable as a means for delivering the word to His disciples. The word parable means “to cast alongside.” It is a story, or a comparison, that is put alongside something else to help make the lesson clear. However, these are not ordinary parables; Jesus called them “the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.” At this point in Jesus’ ministry He made significant change in His method of teaching. He began to speak in parables that were difficult to understand- especially when unbelievers were present. Why would He speak so that His audience could not understand what He was saying? It was through this study of God’s word we will explore this question.
1.The unbelieving crowds were deliberately shutting their eyes and ears to His claim and refusing to be converted and healed spiritually . (Matthew 13:13-15)
2. It was time to teach the “mysteries of the kingdom of heaven” to true disciples. The mysteries would be understood by true disciples, but they would be misunderstood by those who deliberately blinded their eyes and deafened their ears.
3.“The mysteries of the kingdom of heaven” cannot be understood without first recognizing Jesus as the Messiah and as the One would bring the Kingdom of Heaven to men. Jesus had always used illustrations and sometimes the illustrations had been parables, but the parables had always been clearly understood. Now the parables were different, totally different.
They were not clear, and the change in Jesus’ method shocked the disciples. Therefore, they questioned Him: ”Why ?” His answer was a strong warning to some and a great promise to others.
1. Christ spoke in parables for the committed and diligent. Seekers and achievers receive (v.12).
It is the law of nature. It is the law of man.It is the law of God (Matt. 5:6;Luke 16:10)
2. A formula
Perspective + initiative = success
Perspective – initiative = lost opportunity
Initiative – perspective = nothing
Perspective means the ability to see, envision, dream, and understand. It is the ability to see clearly; to envision opportunity; to dream dreams; to conceive visions, and to look through.Initiative means acting at the right time. A person must act, but act at the right time. It is the person who has God’s perspective (vision) and God’s energy (spirit) who achieves and has all and does all that God purposes for him.
3. Christ spoke in parables because unbelievers rejected and lose more and more.
Their willful rejection (v. 13) Do see and hear, yet refuse to really see and hear (v. 13a)Refused to understand (v. 13b)
The unbelievers rejection is prophesied (Isaiah 6:9-10)
Read more...
9.20.16 Bible Study: The Message of the Kingdom of God
Key Scripture: Mark 1:14-15
INTRODUCTION: The message of the Kingdom of God is the most important news ever delivered to the human race. Why? If you do not understand the Kingdom, it is almost impossible for you to understand the Bible and the real message it brings.
- A New Reality
- Jesus came preaching and demonstrating a new reality, preaching not just about people missing hell and going to heaven, but about heaven coming to earth.
- He demonstrated the power of this kingdom to control circumstances, environments, social-ills, and even death itself. (1 Cor. 4:20)
- Repent simply means to stop, to turn around, changing, turning from sin and our own way to God. Sin can be seen as loving ourselves instead of loving God, and preferring our own ways instead of seeking to please Him. (Isaiah 53:6)
- We had the wrong idea of repentance, and therefore the wrong attitude about winning the lost. I (we) didn’t know that it meant to change your thinking. I (we) didn’t know that because of Adam’s sin, we were no longer thinking like God (like royalty), and that our mental processes had been retarded . . . that our thoughts were no longer His thoughts, and our ways no longer His ways.
- Basic to all sin is selfishness. The most common word for sin in the New Testament is the Greek word “hamartia.” It means to miss the mark; to be in error, to fall short.
- Full Payment Through the Blood of Christ
- God saw the hopelessness and helplessness of creation, the condition of mankind, and sent a substitutionary and vicarious sacrifice (John 1:29) (Hebrews 9:14 –MSG)
- Sin can only be settled by the blood of Jesus, the eternal “spot remover” that cleanses (purges) our conscience, not only from what was done in the past, but also frees us to enter into that rest where faith can flow like a flood.
- No Ordinary Life
- Embrace the fact that you were not born to live an ordinary life, you were born for dignity and distinction. (1 Cor. 15:34)
- Repentance releases a revelation of who we really are (Genesis 15:1)
- Reward in Hebrew is “sakar” meaning salary, wages, or compensation
- Repentance prepares our heart to receive new seed (Matthew 13:15)
- Repent! Return to your place of dominion. It’s the best thing you could ever do.
Read more...
9.13.16 Bible Study: Kingdom Living (continued)
9.13.16 Bible Study: Kingdom Living (continued)
Read more...
