The Unstoppable Kingdom

The Unstoppable Kingdom

Mark 4:21-34

Good morning.

Jesus spoke many times about the Kingdom of God with parables to the religious leaders who would not believe in Him.

Luke 17:20 One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, "When will the Kingdom of God come?" Jesus replied, "The Kingdom of God isn't ushered in with visible signs.

Luke 17:21 You won't be able to say, 'Here it is!' or 'It's over there!' For the Kingdom of God is among you." NLT

Jesus very clearly told these religious leaders that the Kingdom of God was right there in their midst and they didn’t recognize it

Jesus is King of the Kingdom; so, if Jesus is present, it stands to reason that the Kingdom of God is present as well.

Since the Creation of the world, the evil one has used many people to try and destroy or to stop the Kingdom of God; but, the King and the Kingdom of God are unstoppable.

Today, the kingdom of God is visible as Jesus uses His body, the Church, a community of people who through faith in Christ, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, serve Christ in the world.

Please open your Bibles to Mark 4 as we continue that study

Last week, we studied the Parable of the Sower. Jesus taught a parable about a farmer sowing seed on different kinds of soil.

This parable mentioned three things; the Sower, the Good Seed, and the soils.

In this parable we notice the seed (message) was the same in each instance; but, there are four different types of soil (hearts).

When we hear and believe God’s Good Word, we will allow Jesus to have first place within our lives and through the Holy Spirit’s ministry, we will be equipped to produce fruit.

This morning’s passage is a continuation of what Jesus taught His followers immediately after last week’s parable.

Today, Jesus will teach three different parables about the unstoppable Kingdom of God.

I. The Lamp of God.

Read Mark 4:21-23

Here Jesus gives another parable and He uses a common house-hold item, a lamp.

Warren Wiersbe said, “If the lamp was not lit, or if it was covered up, it did the home no good.”

This world is not only in a state of decay, it is also in darkness and so there are two applications for the lamp Jesus describes.

1. Jesus is not only the Lamb of God, Jesus is the Lamp of God who came to bring and reveal the light of God.

John 1:4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

John 1:5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. NKJV

Light brings life and exposes the darkness. Light also warms the place and helps people see things more clearly, as it aluminates.

gotquestions.org said, “ Jesus was claiming that He is the exclusive source of spiritual light. No other source of spiritual truth is available to mankind.”

Jesus really is the true light that came into the world and now He tells His followers they are lights unto the world as well!

2. Jesus called us as representatives to be a light to the world.

The same Jesus that said, “I am the light of the world” also said, “You are the light of the world”.

We know oil represents the Holy Spirit within scripture.

Zechariah 4:2 So I said, "I am looking, and there is a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps.

Zechariah 4:3 Two olive trees are by it, one at the right of the bowl and the other at its left."

Zechariah 4:4 So I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, "What are these, my lord?"

Zechariah 4:5 Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, "Do you not know what these are?" And I said, "No, my lord."

Zechariah 4:6 So he answered and said to me:"This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, 'Says the LORD of hosts. NKJV

In this vision, we see a picture of these Lampstands; but, instead of needing the priest to continually add oil to the lamps…

These Lampstands are directly connected to the olive trees and receive a direct source of olive oil to remain lit.

Today, because we are in Christ, we have the oil, i.e., the Holy Spirit, living within us; so we are directly connected to the source of oil to be able to remain as a light unto the world.

A Christian is only a “Light of the World” because of their relationship to Him who is the ultimate “Light of the World”.