Two kingdoms are at war with each other, the kingdom of sin that leads to death and the Kingdom of Jesus that leads to life. Two kingdoms in an epic battle for each of us. Last week I declared that the battle has begun against the illegal actions that sin has taken toward the will of God. Last week I declared that we would begin winning the battle against sin. Last week I declared that the time has come for the Kingdom to rise up. Now I will begin preparing you for Kingdom living so that you will be equipped to fight this battle.
Last week we established that the Kingdom of God was already here on earth. (Luke 17: 20-21) Jesus declared it to be so. We also discovered the plea that Jesus lifted up to his Father that the subjects of this Kingdom would soon go into action and deliver the will of God for this planet as it was already being done in the spiritual realm. (Matt 6:10) It was further established that we have been given the spiritual keys to unlock the secrets to this Kingdom. (Matt 16:19, Matt 13:11-13)
We will begin today with a question. “How did I or do I become a part of the Kingdom of God.?”
Colossians 1:13 “For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.”
These are the two kingdoms in battle here, the kingdom of sin and the Kingdom of Jesus. You are a subject to one of these kingdoms. You cannot be a subject to both of these kingdoms at the same time. Moreover, you are not a citizen of these kingdoms. Citizenship implies you have a right to refuse to abide by the law, even if doing so results in punishment. In a kingdom, you are a subject. You have no individual right to disobey the king. In a kingdom, disobeying the king makes you a rebel, subject to expulsion or death.
The kingdom of sin is fine with you crossing back and forth between the two kingdoms. The king of that kingdom realizes that he still has rule over you. You are still subject to his commands. He is not threatened by your weekly visits to the Kingdom of Jesus.
However, Jesus will not tolerate our visits to the kingdom of sin. We are his subjects and under his authority. When we disregard this fact, we are in rebellion and run the risk of expulsion or spiritual death.
We were born into the kingdom of sin. We were subjects to our fleshly desires. However, Jesus purchased us with his blood on the cross. And when He did, He moved us to his Kingdom. He counted us among his beloved. He established us there. We became his subjects.
The next question is “What happens when I become a part of the Kingdom of God?”
He begins to nourish us with his presence and his word. Peter tells us in 1 Peter 2:2 “Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment,”
Often we keep the twins and nothing soothes them but a bottle of formula. Believe me, if they do not get it, they cry out for it. We are to be like that. The passage says that God’s Word is pure. It has no bad taste nor is it unsatisfying. The word “spiritual” also means “logical” in the Greek language. God’s Word is logical. It makes sense. It is simple. When something is logical, it cannot be ignored. It is illogical to ignore something that is logical. We need the logical Word of God so that we can increase in wisdom about God’s Word in order for us to grow spiritually.
As this “milk” nourishes us, we should begin to grow to handling some stronger teaching. Sadly, the church seems unprepared to move to this next step. This problem is nothing new. The church in Corinth struggled with this situation and Paul had to address it.
1 Cor 3:1-3 “Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in the Christian life. I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world?
Paul admonished them for being unfaithful to the Kingdom of Jesus. And the king of sin was probably pleased with their actions. Their actions proved to Paul, the church, and the people around them to which kingdom they were still a subject.
The third question is “What will this spiritual milk reveal to me?”
The answer is simple but exciting.
Matthew 13:11-13 “He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. That is why I use these parables, For they look, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.”
It is the desire of God for us to understand the mysterious ways of God. He wants to understand the victory that we have over our circumstances. He wants us to understand the power we have over our enemy. He wants us to understand about Kingdom living. He wants us to have an abundance of knowledge. He wants us to live in the light of that knowledge. And if you listen you will receive that knowledge.
However, He promises those who sit in church every Sunday and their mind wanders will lose what little understanding they have received. He says they hear, but they do not really listen. When we are attending church, it is God’s mandate that we pay attention, understand, and obey what we have been taught. He allows us this opportunity so that we can understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven. We should be taking notes every Sunday, reviewing then during the week, and applying them to our lives. You have been given a special privilege that not everyone receives. I implore you to take advantage of it.
This brings us to the last question. How does my role in the Kingdom begin?
Matthew 13:3 “He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one: “Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds.” Jesus says “listen, pay attention, gain some understanding, obey what you are about to learn.”
The Kingdom begins with a seed. Your role does the same. As we listen to his teaching on this subject, we will learn that the seed is God’s Word. Almost all life begins with a seed. Seeds come in all sizes but none is ever greater in size than the life it produces. Seeds planted in the ground must struggle through layers of dirt to reach sunlight. James 1:21 tells us to “humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts,”
God has implanted the Kingdom in your heart. This is where the Kingdom resides. It may be small but it needs to grow. A seed planted in the ground that never develops is useless. The Kingdom planted in your heart that never develops and never grows is useless. And God promises to remove it.
Let’s continue with Matthew 13:4-9 “As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”
The seeds are scattered. There is not a plan or a program. There is no soil that is left out. A farmer hearing this story would have seen the foolishness of the one sowing the seed. He would have recognized the fact that crops do not do well when planted on a sidewalk or in a rocky soil or a thistle-laden area. He would know that it takes fertile soil for the crops to grow.
But in the Kingdom, seeds can grow where they should not. If the King desires He can get grow plants on sidewalks, in rocky soil, or among thorns. If you do not see that fact, look at your own heart. Was your heart always fertile? We are commanded to scatter those seeds, often in what we think are the least effective places.
I will now share with you a command from our King found in Matthew 13:18-23 “Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”
The King, Jesus, has implanted the Kingdom, the seed, in your heart. It is your role to protect that seed from the enemy.
If you come to church and don’t pay attention, understand, and obey what we have been taught satan will snatch away the Kingdom from you. Jesus said, “even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.” You forfeit the promise of understanding.
If you come to church, get pumped up and excited, and promise to turn your life around, you had better follow it through. Because if you hit the business world and you are back to the same routine, you have fallen away. If there is no difference in your family life, you have fallen away. If you do not dare show your Kingdom face to your friends, you have fallen away and betrayed your King. You forfeit the promise of understanding.
If you come to church and hear the King’s commands, but leave refusing to obey because your love for the world is too strong, you will be unfruitful and useless to the Kingdom. You forfeit the promise of understanding.
However, if you come to church and let that little seed begin to grow, you will witness the Kingdom begin to multiply in your life. If you will pay attention, understand, and obey what you have been taught you will begin to experience your King in a new fashion. You will discover a peace and comfort beyond words. You will find power over your sins from on high. Jesus said “The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”
Jesus is not talking about finances or lost souls. He is talking about understanding. Your knowledge about him and his Kingdom will grow to where you can understand his will for your life. You won’t grope in the darkness of misunderstanding and legalism. You will be set free by the promise of understanding. That is your role in the Kingdom, to gain understanding.
Kingdom seed has been scattered everywhere this morning. It has been implanted in your heart. Keep it strong. Let it grow.
