SERMON OUTLINE:
(1). Straight talk about the Kingdom (vs 18-22).
• illustration #1: like a mustard seed (vs 19).
• illustration #2: like yeast (vs 21).
(2). Straight talk about salvation (vs 23-33).
• Entrance to the Kingdom is not automatic (vs 23-24).
• Entrance to the Kingdom is a struggle (vs 24).
• Entrance to the Kingdom is surprising (vs 25-30).
(3). Straight talk about his mission (vs 31-35).
• His plan will not be hindered (vs 31-32).
• His offer is forced on no one (vs 34-35).
SERMON BODY:
Ill:
• The story is told of a little Jimmy who came home from school;
• And asked his parents ‘the’ question they all dread to hear;
• “Dad, where did I come from?”
• Dad in his wisdom replied; “Good question, go ask your mother!”
• So off he went to find his mother;
• When he found her he said: “Mum, where did I come from?”
• She replied; “Good question, go ask your father!”
• Jimmy replied; “I’ve asked him and he sent me to you!!
• Mum sits Jimmy down and starts to explain the story of the ‘birds and the bees’ etc;
• After she has explained the facts of life to little Jimmy.
• Jimmy’s eyes got wider and wider, his mouth falls further and further open.
• When she had finished she asked Jimmy; “Does that help?”
• He replied; “No really, my friend Mikey says he is from Portsmouth. Where did I come from?”
• TRANSITION: Sometimes you have to know what is behind the question being asked;
• In order to understand the question in the first place.
• And the same is true regarding the questions asked in our passage.
• But I want you to notice,
• That to each question, Jesus gives a straight answer.
Ill:
• Research has confirmed that politicians are smooth talkers.
• A study found they evade answering tough questions during debates,
• By addressing similar, though not identical, questions.
• TRANSITION: Well not Jesus,
• Notice in this passage, Jesus gives us straight answers.
(1). Straight talk about the kingdom (vs 18-22)
• A subject every first century Jew was interested in was the ‘Kingdom of God’.
• Don’t forget that the Jewish people were a people under Roman rule/oppression.
• And like any oppressed people they desperately wanted their freedom;
• They believed that the freedom they were eager to experience;
• Would ultimately come when the Messiah came.
• He would overthrow their enemies and set up his kingdom – i.e. ‘Kingdom of God’.
So the theme of this first section is the ‘Kingdom of God’:
• Jesus asks his listeners two questions:
• First: “What is the Kingdom of God like?”
• Second: “What shall I compare it to?”
Pause for a moment to understand that expression ‘Kingdom of God’:
• Christians believe that the ‘Kingdom of God’ is not a physical place on earth,
• You cannot find it on a map or go visit it for your holidays.
• The ‘Kingdom of God’ is a broad idea, and in simple terms:
• The ‘Kingdom of God’ is the domain over which God reigns as King.
• So wherever God is ‘in charge’, that’s where his kingdom is.
• I would suggest the Kingdom of God today,
• Is God ruling in the lives of true believers, that is Christians.
• ill: In the book of Acts the message they preached was The kingdom of God “
• (Acts 8:12, 19:8; 20:25, 28:30).
• When a person comes to faith in Jesus Christ,
• He becomes not just their saviour but also their Lord, their King reining in their lives.
• He is not just Jesus or Jesus Christ, but the Lord Jesus Christ.
• Lord in the lives of his people,
• That is the Kingdom of God for you and me today.
Now in talking about the ‘Kingdom of God’ to his hearers:
• Jesus uses two illustrations (vs 18 & 20);
• Notice these illustrations that have nothing to do with great empires (i.e. earthly domains),
• Rather they are focussed in everyday objects.
Illustration #1: Like a mustard seed (vs 19).
18Then Jesus asked, "What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to?
19It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air perched in its branches."
Ill:
• In the east, a mustard seed was not a garden herb but a field plant.
• It does laterally grows into a tree over 9 feet tall.
• And the birds love the little black mustard seeds and are attracted to it.
• so small it can easily get lost in your hand.
• It would take 20,000 mustard seeds to weigh just one ounce.
• The seeds came from the mustard plant which had very bright, brilliant yellow flowers;
• And this plant can grow to be over 9 feet tall.
• So a tiny mustard seed can grow big and strong enough;
• That birds could choose to build their nest in its branches.
Notice:
• Jesus does not give an interpretation to these parables;
• Maybe they were so obvious his hearers fully understood what he meant.
• Or maybe like a time bomb;
• They would have to wait for a later time when the truth would explode in their minds.
Application:
• Jesus did not give an explanation but preachers often will;
• So here is this preachers suggestion as to what Jesus meant.
• God’s kingdom, begins as something insignificant.
• But like that seed, the Kingdom is alive;
• And although it starts small, it grows and it grows and it grows!
Ill:
• That’s true the church of Jesus Christ – his kingdom, where he reigns.
• Jesus started with only 12 men, and one of them was a fake.
• That’s a pretty small seed.
• Yet today there are over 2.18 billion Christians in the world.
• Who claim to follow Jesus Christ.
• It started as something small and insignificant;
• But today all around the world that seed has grown and continues to grow!
Illustration #2: Like yeast (vs 21).
20Again he asked, "What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? 21It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount[a] of flour until it worked all through the dough."
• In his second illustration;
• Jesus moves out of the fields and into the kitchen.
Ill:
• In New Testament times bread was baked at home,
• And because bread was cheap, it was a staple food,
• And it was always the job of the woman to make it,
• Note: Now the yeast she would use;
• Was not like the dry yeast we tend to use today,
• Rather it was a very small lump of dough taken from the previous days bread dough.
• She would take that lump of dough and kneed it in to the new flour mixture;
• And eventually that yeast would permeate and influence the entire batch.
• Because like a mustard seed, yeast is also “alive.”
Quote: One yeast web site. says,
• “In yeast, there are thousands of living, plant-like micro-organisms.
• When activated by warm liquid, and fed by sugar or starch,
• The yeast releases tiny bubbles of carbon dioxide gas.
• This gas is what makes the dough rise and achieve its light texture after baking.”
Yeast acts as a catalyst to change the nature of the bread dough.
• And it only takes a tiny bit of yeast to affect the entire lump of dough.
• And that is exactly the point Jesus is making.
• Unlike the kingdoms of the world;
• That grow by external force, by great military power.
• The Kingdom of God’s reign works internally, invisibly,
• It brings about change by permeating our lives like yeast infuses dough.
Application:
• This parable is a reminder;
• That the kingdom of God works unseen and from the inside.
• That the kingdom of God is a living substance that changes lives.
• In other words:
• You cannot have a true encounter with God and stay the same.
• Yeast will not allow the dough to remain the same;
• And Christ living his life in us will not allow us to remain the same!
Ill:
• I bumped into Matt Hill’s father last week,
• Matt was a member here at DRC for a number of years.
• And we obviously talked about matt and what he has been up to,
• His dad said; “Incredible how he has changed, a real transformation”
• And of course that is what Jesus Christ has done for him,
• He arrived here one Sunday morning homeless and split up from his wife,
• He was an alcoholic and had literally got just the clothes he stood up in.
• When he came to faith, the changes started to come,
• Over the next few years he found somewhere to live,
• He found employment (I’ll be honest I never thought he would get himself a job),
• He has even moved out of the area with his work,
• He is part of a local Church in Plymouth,
• And is also in a steady relationship with his girlfriend,
• And last week I had a form through the post;
• Asking if I would give him a reference to volunteer work at IvyBridge Youth For Christ.
• His grain of yeast was a simple prayer and a promise as he committed his life to Christ,
• And that yeast has grown and grown bringing change into his life.
• TRANSITION: Now for someone like Matt it is easier to see change in their lives,
• Than perhaps for most of us who our friends and family might describe us as:
• “Fairly respectable and good people”
• And although the outward change might not be so dramatic as Matt’s,
• There should still be signs of change and we should still have the desire to change.
• Tough Question: Are you still growing/changing?
• Answer: Only you know the answer!
Quote: The poet wrote:
“I think my soul is a tame old duck,
Dabbling around in barnyard muck.
Fat and lazy with useless wings,
But sometimes when the North wind sings,
And the wild ones hurtle overhead,
It remembers something lost and dead.
And cocks a wary, bewildered eye,
And makes a feeble attempt to fly.
It’s fairly content with the state it’s in,
BUT IT ISN’T THE DUCK IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.”
• TRANSITION: Most of us are not the ducks we should be.
• That is, we’re not the Christians we should be!
• We need to battle that spirit of laziness and apathy and contentment;
• And allow Christ to continue to change us.
• Don’t settle for the good, we need to aspire, to aim for the best!
(2). Straight talk about salvation (vs 23-33).
• The next question in this section;
• Is asked not by Jesus, but by a person in the crowd.
• Verses 23:
• “Someone asked him, "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?"”
Notice:
• The reply of Jesus in verse 24:
• He does not directly answer the question that was asked.
“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door,
because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to”.
• The questioner had asked ‘how many will be saved?’
• But in his answer Jesus addresses ‘how to be saved.’
• So the question asked was “How many?”
• The answer given by Jesus is “How to”
• The questioner had asked a vague question about and unknown number;
• But Jesus addresses his answer to him personally i.e. verse 24 “I tell you…”
• Jesus turns a vague theological question; ‘how many will be saved?’
• And turns it into a personal challenge: ‘telling you….how to be saved.’
(a). Entrance to the Kingdom is not automatic (vs 23-24).
• Let’s look at the question asked:
• Verse 23: "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?"
• The assumption from the questioner would have been the kingdom of God was for Jews,
• And that Gentiles would be shut out,
• So the answer of Jesus would have come as a shock to him.
ILL:
• The Pharisees (religious/political leaders) believed and taught that,
• Quote: "All Israel has a share in the age to come".
• In other words they believed that being born Jewish was enough to save you.
• The Pharisees made much of the fact;
• That they were the children of Abraham in the physical sense.
• And they taught that those who were of physical seed i.e. Descendants of Abraham,
• Had automatic rights into the kingdom of God.
• For a Gentile (Non-Jew) to know God:
• He had to be first converted to Judaism (i.e. go through a process of becoming a Jew)
• But for anyone born a Jew that was not a problem,
• Because, "All Israel has a share in the age to come".
Quote from Pharisaic writings:
"Abraham sits at the gates of Gehenna (Hell),
To snatch any Israelite consigned there to".
• In other words: If by mistake a Jew was assigned to hell:
• No worries Abraham waits there at the gates to snatch him away.
• Because, "All Israel has a share in the age to come".
The Person in verse 23 who asked the question:
• Obviously had picked up from Jesus that he did not teach this nor believe this;
• And so he asks for clarification.
• Jesus answers the question;
• But not with a ‘How many’ but rather a ‘How to’ enter the kingdom.
Ill:
• Asking the children in my Sunday School class,
• "If I sold my house and my car, and all my possessions;
• Then gave all my money to the church, would I get into Heaven?"
• All the children all answered; “No!”
• "How about if I cleaned the church every day,
• Kept it in perfect condition by keeping everything neat and tidy,
• Would I get into Heaven"? Again, the answer was "NO"!”
• “Well," Continued the teacher, "then how can I get to Heaven?"
• In the back of the room, a 5 yr. old boy shouted out, "You gotta be dead"!”
Jesus answer the man’s question directly about how many will go to heaven,
• By placing the focus NOT ON OTHERS (‘how many’)
• But on the individual (vs 24: “Make every effort” vs 24: “I tell you”).
• So the response of Jesus;
• Would make the questioner and all the people rethink their own beliefs.
Verse 24
“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Sir, open the door for us.'
"But he will answer, 'I don't know you or where you come from.'”
• Rather than taking heaven for granted,
• We should be “making every effort to enter in.” (vs 24)
• Because “many will try to enter (heaven) and will not be able to.”
Note:
• Nationality plays no role in who goes to heaven/ the Kingdom of God
• Relatives & other people plays no role in who goes to heaven/ the Kingdom of God
• Entrance to the Kingdom of God is not by these things;
• Rather it is through a person, Jesus Christ,
• And each of us must CHOOSE to pass through him (the living door).
(b). Entrance to the Kingdom is a struggle (vs 24).
• Verse 24: Jesus tells people to “make every effort to enter through the narrow door”
• Verse 24: Jesus tells people they should “strive through the narrow door”.
Ill:
• The word that is translated as “make every effort” (NIV) or “strive” (KJV)
• Is a word that was usually used to describe the mindset of:
• An athlete in a contest or to describe a soldier in a war.
• Both are committed to their cause!
• Jesus is saying that he requires that same kind of determination and commitment to him!
• He is the way and there is no other!
• So don’t let anyone side-track you!
Note:
• The word "narrow" is a Greek word that also meant ‘restrictive’.
• Jesus taught that there are restrictions on who will go to heaven.
• Not everybody who wants to go to heaven will go;
• Entrance to heaven is restricted.
Ill:
• Jim has recently been out to Bologna (/b?'lo?nj?), Italy,
• To see his eldest daughter perform in concert.
• Now if we all had gone we would if we had a ticket be allowed in the concert venue.
• But Jim can go into the V.I.P. area and even backstage,
• We would have restricted access.
• Whereas Jim because of his relationship to his daughter would have unrestricted access.
• TRANSITION: Jesus said the Kingdom of God is a restricted area:
• Not everyone will be going there,
• Only those in a relationship with him.
• Only those who come on God’s terms and those terms are narrow (restrictive),
• Will be allowed in.
(c). Entrance to the Kingdom is surprising (vs 25-27).
25Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Sir, open the door for us.'
"But he will answer, 'I don't know you or where you come from.'
26"Then you will say, 'We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.'
27"But he will reply, 'I don't know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!'
Question: Why do we have doors?
Answer: A door exists to divide, to separate,
• To demarcate those who are in, those who are out,
• Those who are family, those who are foe,
• Those who are welcome, those who are unwelcome.
• Just as your home has a door, so the kingdom home of God has a door.
• And Jesus says that God dwells on one side and we on the other.
• Holiness on one side, unholiness on the other.
• Life on one side, death on the other.
• And the door of division, separation, demarcation between us and God.
• Is a narrow door. It is a small door.
• Jesus says it is a door that few find and fewer still pass through.
Verses 26&27 are very sobering verses:
• To paraphrase them;
• Just attending the right Church, singing the right songs;
• Believing the right creed and seeming to be part of the family – is not enough!
• Notice that twice Jesus warns his hearers (and also us):
• Verse 25: 'I don't know you or where you come from’.'
• And he repeats in verse 27, “I do not know you... away from me"
• Heaven will be full of surprises;
• People we assumed to be there may not be,
• And others we did not expect to see will be there!
• And the only difference between the two will be those who passed through the door,
• And those who did not!
These particular verses were spoken especially to people.
• Who were confident that they would be in heaven/ the Kingdom of God
• Because they were descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
• Jesus says that those who reject him;
• Will not be in the kingdom of God no matter the family relationships,
• No matter what good deeds you did or even what you did in his name.
• The Kingdom of God / Heaven is not a reward for a good life,
• The Kingdom of God / heaven is a destination;
• For those who put their trust in Christ and Christ alone!
Notice: Another surprise (vs 29) - the same time many others from many nations
• i.e. the Gentiles who were not expected to be in heaven will be in heaven.
• This is people like us that is being referred to in verse 29 where Jesus says,
“People will come from the east and west, and north and south to take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God."
Notice: Another surprise (vs 28-30) – For some that future day will be as terrible as it sounds!
28"There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out.
29People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. 30Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last."
• The message of Jesus is not politically correct;
• He spoke of a narrow door. And therefore Christianity is an exclusive religion.
• There is no salvation apart from Jesus.
• There is no forgiveness of sin apart from Jesus.
• There is no eternal life apart from Jesus.
• The path to salvation, the door of salvation, it is, in fact, narrow.
• In that regard, it is exclusive.
• There is no hope for sinful people other than Jesus Christ.
But Christianity is also the most inclusive.
• All are welcome to pass through the narrow door.
• Young or old, rich or poor, black or white, the wise and the strugglers,
• All are welcome!
• TRANSITION:
• Now you folk have already made the application,
• You are one step ahead!
• Tonight you can enter through that narrow door, you can be IN Christ:
• Because Jesus said; “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved”
• (John chapter 10 verse 9)
• And if you have yet to enter through that door,
• If you have yet to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, then do so now.
• I often say it’s as easy as A.B.C.
• A = Admit – I am a sinner by nature and by practice.
• And I know my sin is an offence to a holy God.
• B = Believe – that Jesus bore your sins when he died on the cross.
• Put your faith and trust in him and his finished work and not your good works.
• C = Consider – am I willing to make Jesus Christ Lord of my life,
• Am I will to repent, turn from living for self and start to live for him?
• D = Do – will you do that now as I lead you in a short prayer of commitment to Christ.
• Let’s pray.
(3). Straight talk about his mission
• Several times in Jesus’ life, He shows that He was a man on a mission.
• He had a purpose, which He intentionally fulfilled.
• Jesus put it this way in Luke chapter 19 verse 10:
• “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
• His mission was to save people who needed saving.
And one of the best summaries of the mission of Jesus is John chapter 3 verse 16-17.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
• Christ mission was to give his pefect life for imperfect people.
• To shed his blood as an atonement for sins.
• On the cross he was rejected,
• That we might be accepted.
• On the cross he was condemned,
• That we might be forgiven.
• On the cross he was punished,
• That we might be pardoned.
• On the cross he was hated,
• That we might be loved.
• On the cross he was crucified,
• That we might be justified.
• On the cross he died,
• That we might live.
• And because he rose again on the third day,
• We know that he conquered sin, death & the grave.
• We can be justfied in God the Father’s sight,
• We can know his love and be saved!
(a). His plan will not be hindered (vs 31-32).
“At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, ‘Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.’
32 He replied, ‘Go and tell that fox, “I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.” 33 In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day – for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!”
• The Pharisees were no friends of Jesus,
• So this warning that Herod was out to kill Him,
• Was probably a scare tactic intended to spook Jesus.
Ill:
• Herod Antipas was a powerful governor,
• He had the authority to execute anyone he desired.
• A few months earlier he beheaded John the Baptist,
• And now he was out to get Jesus as well.
Jesus’ reply (vs 32) is priceless. He makes a joke of Herod.
• He says, “You tell that fox...”
• That’s an example of Hebrew humour, but I noticed none of you laughed.
• Maybe you lot just don’t appreciate good Hebrew humour.
• Jesus was giving a caricature of Herod;
• By describing him as a sneaky, cunning, predatory animal,
• If you knew anything about Herod then his description is very accurate and funny.
This response reveals Jesus’ courage. He is a fearless:
• He was going to keep on doing what He had been doing,
• And Herod wouldn’t slow Him down.
• He had a job to do and He had a goal to accomplish.
• Notice in verse 31 He said, “I WILL reach my goal.”
• The only place Jesus was going to die was at Jerusalem.
• No accidents in the life of Jesus only appointments.
• He had come into this world with an appointment in the diary.
• The day would be a Friday and the time would be three o’clock.
• And no-one not even Herod would stop him fulfilling that purpose.
• He was destined for the cross;
• Where he would give his life as an offering, a sacrifice for sin.
• Jesus would not die a martyr’s death over which He had no control.
• Jesus was not executed against his will,
• Jesus willingly laid His life down (John chapter 10 verses 17-18).
(b). His offer is forced on no one (vs 34-35)
“‘Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. 35 Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”’”
• I think verse 34 contains five of the saddest words in the Bible,
• “But you were not willing.”
• Jesus desire is, “I wanted to protect you and shelter you like a hen protects her chicks”;
• Yet the peoples response: “BUT YOU WERE NOT WILLING.”
• People say; “How Can a God of Love Send People to Hell?”
• The short answer to that question is he does not!
Quote: C.S. Lewis:
“There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, "Thy will be done," and those to whom God says, in the end, "Thy will be done." All that are in Hell, choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no Hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find. Those who knock it is opened.”
• The short answer to that question is he does not!
• He calls us “But we will not come!”
• One of the most amazing thing Jesus said in this passage;
• Is that human beings/you and I have the option to choose.
Ill:
• Halfway down the Mount of Olives overlooking Jerusalem,
• There is a small chapel built by the Franciscan order called Dominus Fleitz,
• Latin for “The Lord wept.”
• It’s called the “Chapel of Tears” and the building itself has a teardrop design.
• Inside this chapel is a beautiful mosaic that captures this image.
• From verse 34.
• You can see a hen with her wings outstretched with little chicks underneath.
• The Latin inscription around the mosaic is verse 34, are written in red:
• “But you were not willing”
• TRANSITION: Jesus is still standing over Jerusalem, in fact his world;
• With His arms of love outstretched and the invitation is still come;
• Are you willing?
SERMON AUDIO:
https://surf.pxwave.com/wl/?id=gWlmZQJCruwqfndb91oxqUMrZ8GBJhOB
