The Kingdom Parables

Father thank you for your love and kindness. your steadfast faithfulness your mercy and the reality that you've invited us into your presence. God asking that you would now working our hearts moving Our Lives cuz the spirit be present in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. If you would No Doubt with me on Bible stuff for the next 10 minutes. I would really really appreciate that this morning. We are going to do something here and how we're going to read the scriptures. That's hopefully going to make some sense to you in just a moment. I'm going to also help you in further Bible reading as well Tim Mackie of the Bible project often refers to the scriptures as meditation literature meditation literature is not something that you simply empty your mind after you have spotless moments, but it's literature that you literally spend time thinking dwelling processing re looking at Because of that how we love to read stories is in a very linear manner, right? We like the beginning we like the middle and we love the end. In fact when a movie starts with the end. I'm always looking at either my children or my wife and they're looking at me going what in the world is going on and then the movie ends up telling the story of what's going on. The Bible is God's story and it's going somewhere. It's leading us somewhere, but it's also a story in which you must read to understand what's going on even there in the beginning so you won't fully understand scripture unless you read scripture to explain scripture for things that get reveal that didn't make sense to what is going on earlier that meditation literature. It's too cause you to go back and to think what did I just read and how does this apply to that? And what I want to do this morning is set the table for the next three weeks as Michael and I are highlighted chapters 11 12 and 13. We're going to look at three big ideas that stem from one of the very main parables are a metal Parable that will get into in a little bit and explain some of that which gives understanding to the entirety of chapters 11 12 and 13, but I have to because we had Easter last week and that we trekked through Matthew we diverted a little bit but what I want to see here is that up to this point in Matthews telling of the Gospel of the kingdom of Jesus Christ. There's been a lot of Buzz happening around Jesus. He drew a large crowd out as he was giving the sermon on the mountain. Is attracting many people but at this point you have three classifications or three groups, I think Britain's Got a slide up here. They're going to be like a huge slide which I doubt you'll be able to see all of you all of that. And then the moment he's going to zoom in on the one section. I want us to look at but there are three groups of people in here. There are those that absolutely despise and hate Jesus. They don't want anything to do with him other than to take him down. There's another group of people I would say this is a very small grouping of people up to this point even some of those who are really close to Jesus there around Jesus. There is a grouping of people who who have accepted or starting to believe he is who he saying he's to be and then there's another large Gathering of people we're going Now I got to classify the statement there in neutral to Jesus and that goes against everything we've heard you either for or against Jesus but they're neutral towards Jesus In This Moment cuz they haven't yet decided am I for him or am I against him somebody like John the Baptist Goodman preaching about Jesus talking about Jesus pointing others to Jesus while in prison. He said are you the Messiah? Are you the one or is there another yet to come? We have not had Peter the Great confession yet. You are the Christ though. They've been sent out and then some pretty incredible stuff in the name of Jesus there being drawn to Jesus, but there hasn't been any definitive statements made yet that we trust believe that you are the one who has been sent. And so what this whole unit of scripture in chapters, 11 12 and 13 are doing is they're giving us examples of where people are at towards Jesus sounds like a lot like today where people are at towards Jesus you're for him or against him or you're really curious about him this morning. You're really curious and this morning we get this look at the stories of our heart and our responses to the kingdom and it's given in a parable a story format a terrible story statement that draws quick points out Arthur Miller playwright. Yes or no lyrics Arthur Miller Death of a Salesman. That's the only reason I'm familiar with Arthur Miller. I couldn't name another one there, but he said this in every successful drama. There is something which makes a person say hey. Me the story becomes a mirror in which stuff for cognition produces self-understanding. Now this morning Americans are absolutely captivated by stories. We have a multibillion-dollar industry known as Hollywood, which is made of a whole lot of money selling stories from good some bad some horrible some captivating regardless of that. We are having our attention drawn to story because there's something in them and hero twins that just happens to the villain. That's something that take place and we look at stories and we can get a bit of a picture even of ourselves and those stories and Jesus in Chapter 13 is going to tell a block of stories or Parables and Matthew intentionally blocks these together. Every single one of them are very explicit and what they're going to tell us what they're about the kingdom of God and he's using all kinds of examples that would resonate with the people around him being a mostly agrarian culture or culture that was fishing and selling in the marketplaces. He's going to use the very examples that would connect with the people around him in order to get them to think about their own life and what Jesus intern is saying the stories relate to them and hopefully they began to stir something up inside the people down the stories there Parables. Let me give you a good short summary. This comes from Tim Mackie. Once again from the Bible project The Parables aren't simply a kind of meat clever way that Jesus taught moral or ethical Troost. They're not simply a way that he taught Systematic Theology through symbols, please church do not try to do that with terrible. You get some weird things. They are an expression in which the service of his announcement of the kingdom of God. Jesus is choosing to use The Parables the stories to announce to talk about the kingdom of God. Parables are not unique to Jesus. There's herbals that some of the ones in which he tells two are very similar to other parables in his day. Old Testament even in Isaiah what is chapter 5 tells of a parable the parables are not unique or only to Jesus but a parable is a fictional story. It is not allegory as if every single detail has spiritual significance there is generally But not universally one Salient point one theme one issue for the parable is trying to get at now. Why is Jesus using them? Aubrey explicitly in a little bit to put to conceal and to reveal to conceal and to reveal now Kyle Snodgrass a last name by the way, just epic and it book stories with intent. This is a little bit lengthier, but I believe it's incredibly important for us this morning says this direct communication is important for conveying information communication is like when I tell my kid I want you to do this implied communication might be a conversation or a story in which I hope that they get the point. They need to clean the basement clean their rooms for I direct communication is you need to do this now listen to what he says learning is more than information intake especially through learner is somebody who already thinks they understand direct communication to somebody who thinks they already understand is an incredible. Difficult task force is your Carson teaching 8th graders, right? Cuz they know everything already and you use direct communication. They look at you like, you know, nothing by degrees says, otherwise alright direct communication since you've already understand entrenched in their current understanding set their defenses against direct communication and end up conforming the message into the channels of their current understanding of reality. We could spend a lot of time on this alone, especially in this cultural moment when they keep moving on now, but in direct communication finds a way in through the back window to confront a person's view of reality ultimate aim is to draw The Listener to awaken and site to stimulate the conscious and move to action. Jesus parables are prophetic instruments used to get God's people to Stop reconsider their way of doing reality and do change their behavior direct communication. It can be dismissed because somebody's already so entrenched in their view. They've already formulated their argument to your direct communication before you even finished half your sentence. They already got the reason for why they don't agree or believe what you are directly communicating to them. But parables are there stab at getting in to look at something in a completely indirect way to way to break through and communication to break us out of the reality in which were living in the way. We were thinking and believing. I did see something to form a different kind of thinking what they typically are our subversive critiques on culture if any You like stand-up comedians anybody in here and I love them. I was once told as a pastor you should study from them. All right, because people like you more you'll be funnier have a good note E good for you. Well stand up comedian. They are simply breaking down a lot of the cultural nuances that we all ate with and feel in storytelling mode to give us a window and some lunacy that we believe or think are participate in and they use humor to do this. Saturday Night Live made a living off of subversive critiques of culture. This is why Jesus Is Telling Parables. It's a subversive critique. Under religiosity of the ferris tentacle views of the way Israel has no established themselves and he's trying to break through with the idea of what the kingdom actually looks like. Not only that but it's aversive critique is to move it towards a crisis moment or a moment of decision. The purple is a setup to get somebody to have to say we're for you or against you. We agree with you we disagree with you, but the parable is to push us to have to make a decision about Jesus and then the end of the one we're going to look at this morning confirmed the soil of our heart whether it's the softness or hardness to what being talked about this for me and understanding it was a massive paradigm shift in high red Parables because the way in which I grew up in Reading Parables and being taught Parable, but you make a symbol out of everything that was happening and trying to determine Put an idea to every act action person in the story rather than understanding is probably about 1 as we said the Salient point one idea, which is to expose something in our hearts you think about the parable of the Good Samaritan people had a Heyday identifying each and every little thing in it. When in all reality, I guess I probably shouldn't spoil too much of it. But it's this idea of getting that to look like in the kingdom of God to even love those that are enemies simple way to break that down. Cuz another one David and the prophet Nathan Nathan point something out through storytelling Parable could have been a true thing that happened before this setup. David did some pretty horrible stuff. If you don't know the storied have to read about it, but basically murders a guy steals his wife and they got her pregnant just typical Old Testament kind of stuff right normal Godly Man kind of stuff. Apparently, they are heroes of the faith. David not being perfect and it feels like to some degree. Maybe he's getting away with a little bit and it comes to him and ask King David would hear these kinds of Trials and his day-to-day duties and life and maybe this is a true story or not, but Nathan tells a story about a man. And had a little lamb little lamb was like in his house and eat with him and it said at the scraps in the family hung on it and loved it and took care of it. The neighbor who had like 10,000 plants and the neighbor had a friend come into town and I have an active Hospitality. He was supposed to feed this friends that came from out of town and rather than take one of his own because it would've been costly. He stole his neighbor's lamb and he kills it any beads that lamb to his friend visiting and David is in raged at the Injustice that has happened and at that moment. Get brought into a moment of crisis at that moment. You can just say that you're that man.

It's a window into the reality of a sinful heart reveals. What are the softness of the soil? Is there or the hardness is there and David weeps and repent of that? Cuz Jesus is telling me stories. What was Concealed is now revealing and we see Kingdom responses. Let me read one more thing from NT Wright and then we're going to read this chapter and then I'm going to have to just I'm way too much going to get though into your I said as part of his campaign Jesus told stories. They were for the most part not simply illustrations. That's what the preachers there a trick to decorate an abstract thought a complicated teaching. If anything they were the opposite Jesus stories are designed to tease to close the shocking and revolutionary message about God's Kingdom in Gardner literature to decode his Rich message in such a way that you frame a charge against him either a blasphemy for going to see that the moment sedition or Leading the People astray. Whatever the parables are. They are not as children are sometimes taught in Sunday school Earthly stories with Heavenly meanings. Rather they are expressions of Jesus shocking announcement that God's kingdom was arriving on Earth as in heaven. You can go on our web page and you can grab these direct quotes and you can reread these and spend some time with them and think them through let me talk about this now a little bit this morning. What is Jesus's message was read and Matthew Chapter 13 starting first one that same day. You just went out of the house sat beside the sea great crowds gathered about him. He got to do a boat and sat down and while crowds stood on the beach and he told them many things in Parables saying us or went out to sow Genesis owed some seeds fell along the path in the birds came and devoured them other seeds fell on Rocky ground where they did not have much soil and immediately sprang up since they had no depth of soil when the sun rose they were scorched and since they had no root they were withered away other seed fell among thorns in the Thorns grew up and choked them other seeds fell on good soil and produce rain come a hundred fold some 60 some 30, he who has ears let him hear now. This is often how a lot of Parables end with you the Cure having to then decipher. What is the message of Jesus? What's he trying to get across that instead of reading? This is what Matthew says of reading a parable and ask. How is the parable about me and my relationship to God we should revert reverse it and ask how is this about Jesus and his inauguration of God's kingdom when we start their week. Beginning to see the new way of living the Jesus began with his announcement of the Kingdom a riding through him when we read this if you lived in the city and you had no idea about Steve and sewing our day and age because that might be something that some city Folk never come in contact with they might go what in the world is Jesus talking about even the very listeners who are in a Greek cultures are going to begin to go. We don't get what you're saying Jesus. What did you just share never going to get a little bit of an interlude here looking first 10 then I said to him. Why do you speak to them in Parables? Is it direct communication so much better Jesus just tell us you're the way tell us you're the one he answered them to you and has been given to know the secrets this idea of Secrets of the probably a very poor rendering of the word that used in Greek really talking about the things. Unknown store now being made known to you. This mystery is being made clear. It's being revealed its revelatory to you who are listening and hearing he says of heaven, but you limit has not been given for to the one who has more will be given and you will have an abundance but from the one who has not even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables in their lights off of my goodness. She's has none of this makes any sense yet. Because seeing that you're not seeing and hearing they do not hear now. He's just quoting Isaiah and Isaiah talking to some parabolic looking with your affection or do they understand and you can see the disciples as confused as an eight-year-old listening to me right now and either case the prophecy of Isaiah still feel that said you will indeed here but understand not never understand you will need to see but never perceive for this people's heart has grown dull and I are they can barely hear and their eyes are closed lest. They should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand what their heart and turn I would feel them listed are your eyes for the AC. And your ears for they hear they're still as confused as you and I on this week here. We see. What do you mean Jesus goes on for truly. I say to you many prophets and righteous people long to see what you see and did not see it and to hear what you hear and did not hear it start to get clued in. What is everybody in Israel been waiting for the kingdom the kingdom the kingdom the Messiah the one to bring it then he says this is Jesus spells it out for them here than the parable of the sower anyone hears the word of the king Kingdom and does not understand it the evil one comes and snatches it away. This is what the birds are about. Two people going to hear the kingdom. This is descriptive of many people who are around Jesus and the begin to hear and it again to see what he's doing and it's just snatched away from them since they do not believe it. They don't want to receive it. As for what was sewn on Rocky ground. This is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, so they're going to be those that are moving towards Jesus are cited and they hear the words with joy, and it has no root in himself but indoors for a little bit For a little while and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word immediately he falls away but Jesus I trusted in you and tragedy still hit. Maybe you're not good. Maybe you're not King. Maybe you cannot or don't deserve to be trusted. I will not do this on my phone. That's the mentality idea among the Thorns. This is the one who hears the word that the cares of the world and deceitfulness of riches choke the word and it proves unfruitful. Once again, the soil begins to have other worldly things around it and it showed out that good seed that's what was shown on good soil the one who hears the word and understand it. He indeed Bears the fruit and yield in one case a hundred and another 60 and in another 30 now this parable Is a meta Parable means it's just his overarching Grand way of being able to read and understand The Parables understanding in this section is setting us up for how to read the rest and what it talked about in the kingdom of God. If you were to read Psalm 1 someone out lice how to read the rest of the song that declares this is meditation literature. And this is what you're supposed to do like a tree firmly planted you're supposed to think on dwell on the words of the psalmist in order to understand what is being said do understand what Jesus is saying here and to understand when Matthew is blocked this together as a unit chapters 11 12 and 13. It's so we get with Jesus is getting at but there are those who are going to be positive towards Jesus. They receive him. He is Messiah they're going to be those two right then and that moment they're neutral in the sense that they have yet to make a decision for Jesus if they're curious. Jesus or they're like John the Baptist Saints, but are you the Messiah? Can we trust you?

Some of them are going to get choked out burned up. Maybe they emotionally were committed to Jesus. Good to be in the church in the sing the songs and the smoke was just right in the lights hit me in the mood and all the sudden. I was overwhelmed by the burning in my bosom and I love Jesus now and emotionally they're committed. But they're not wholly committed and they flame up and then burn out other people become intellectually curious about Jesus. Osteology and they love to study but their hearts are far far from God. Jesus wants us to be bullish. Analy willfully all of us committed to him. Then you have the negative. Many of the Pharisees many of the Romans hated Jesus the crucified Jesus they wanted nothing to do with Jesus this Parable this theme. His kingdom. Is it the seed in your heart working on a friendly environment? When you hear the word of God, what is your response? What is your reaction towards him now in this big picture Jesus is also critiquing the religious system of that day. Do the Jews have this idea and they're thinking that they were the family the people of God Paul is going to dismantle this in one sense so I can get crucified over this real quick. But in Romans, he says what advantage do us juice have stayed even given the Oracles of God. Therefore you should have been even more responsive and responsible for you responding to the Messiah when he showed up. No, you do not have an advantage if you are Jewish is what he's saying because in Jesus the entirety of the makeup of the family of God has actually been redesigned and fit into the way it intentionally was supposed to be and the juice hearing this for like the favorite Child in the family who always had everything given to them and with stuff that the other children when they got anything themselves,

Would you did move themselves into their thinking to become an isolated group of people and wish they forgot the mission of God's what you bless the Nations around them not something they just hold for themselves and when studying their rules and regulations in ways to try to list separates the spheris medical mindset swept in amongst them, which really try to push anybody not Jewish out rather than welcoming them in and which they would remain in a position of superiority because they are God's favorites. Play understand the story when really they were to be at the vehicle in which the Messiah would come and restore Shalom and restoration To The World At Large. So when Jesus talks about the family of God as being like a seed that's just thrown out there. Jew Gentile Samaritan didn't matter

need to cook chicken breast at process. He's rewriting the script. How much they thought of the Kingdom the responses let's kill him get rid of him. No more. Let's receive that accept him. Others are saying we need to know more. Stores are leading them to this moment of Crisis turn over to chapter 12 verses 1 through 13. I'm going to finish up here very very briefly very quickly.

Sabbath for the juice serious about it or not. They made a big deal about it. In fact, we should probably be a little bit more down. I'm at some point Michael and I will talk on this but if I get stabbed if they have very close to their heart and have these ways of playing it out while the story comes up in the story is not about practicing the Sabbath about who is Lord over the Sabbath and in chapter 12, it says the time Jesus went through the green fields on the Sabbath his disciples were hungry at the end of black heads of grain and to eat when the Pharisees thought they said to him look your disciples are doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath. He said to them have you not read what David did when he was hungry? And those were with him how we entered in the house of God in a bread of the presence is not lawful for him to eat nor for those were with him. But only the priests have you not read in the law. How in the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are Guiltless. I tell you something greater. Listen to something greater than the temple is here that is direct communication Jesus the Same the temple what you juice prize so highly where the glory of God with to dwell this prized possession of Israel something greater than the temple is here. What could that be the very presence of God in which the temple represented welcoming people in he's saying, it's me you're not going to get it. And if you had known what this means I desire mercy and not sacrifice you have not condemned the Guiltless for the son of man is Lord over the Sabbath it gets worse for those who oppose him because he went out from there and enter their synagogue and a man was there with a withered hand and they asked him is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath so that they might accuse him. He said to them which one of you who has a sheep if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath will not take hold and lift it out of how much more value is a man than a sheet is lawful to do good on the Sabbath. Then he said to the man stretch out your hand in the man stretched out and was restored healthy. Like the other is a Pharisees went out and conspired against him how to destroy him. This story is magnificent because it's portraying the kingdom of God and healing and restoring who is Lord over the very commands that were given but in turn it off and declares Kingdom Here with Jesus and in the responses to Jesus if you continue to read the chapter in which we do not have time or two responses. The people say could she actually be the Messiah much like John the Baptist. She the one and then there's a group that says this guy that's doing good to people. He had the Devil in him just like crazy talk in that very moment. And what Jesus is doing and showing is that the kingdom has come and it reveals their reactions. I may just be kind of close out this morning into chapter 11 is I wanted to talk about all three Circle back to John the Baptist. Is in prison beat up broken down? It's been doing the will of God. Preaching Jesus and now he finds himself with some doubt. Related to last week. That's not the worst place to be at but it's not the place to stay at and what Jesus does he's pushing you to a moment of Crisis here this morning. He said look at the soil of your heart. Look at who I am. And I know you have questions and I know you wonder why and I know that sometimes you don't get why things play out the way they playoffs for the Brokenness of the world are your own sinfulness are the sinfulness of somebody else hurting and harming you I will at some point step in and bring complete and full Justice until then Christian participates in what is the goodness of God and bringing the kingdom and participation in the Kingdom. But when we have these moments of doubt this moment of Crisis, we're less sane. Are you the one Jesus and if he's the one And be confident in that confession regardless of your circumstances that he is the Christ. That's what this block of teaching does for you and it does for me, look at it and its entirety and this morning was just her time to focus on the neutral response next week. I get to talk about the positive response and what that looks like in the week after that. Mike was going to discuss the negative response which then plays into chapter 14 and the moving of the disciples going you are the Christ. But when this response happens at what we really should it look like it and act in our lives and I don't want to miss this if you just turn to chapter 12 verse 50 last verse. I'll read to you.

says for whoever does the will of my Father in heaven. Is my brother and sister and mother when Jesus ends on this idea, he's camping on this is for the family of God. Is those who hear me into my well? Where's Your Heart Church It's okay. You're in this position saying I'm not quite sure who Jesus is yet, you know, you should do turn to the person who invited you here this morning have some conversations with them. Talk to me afterwards hang out later. Let's talk about Jesus and answer some questions before Jesus, press in because the world was choke it out. What to give you other cares and other worries was to get you off track.

Press in even in the difficult and hard moments. Jewelry closeout. I'm going to get four questions to think on Britney can flush him up there. What preconceived ideas or thoughts have I built up my feel logical or theology belief around the kingdom maybe need to be crude teeth? We all have a lot of ideas. We watching these doors this morning about God about everything going on in the world today. What are some subversive critiques of the word of God speak to our current cultural situations? Things that we think we are owed or deserved. Can I say we will wait a second we bring you back to what it means to be in the Kingdom. Critiques to how does Jesus describe Kingdom people in what ways is it shocking and what ways is it comforting Pharisees didn't like how Jesus described Kingdom people shocking of the same time comforting. What is the will of the father to finally where am I at? How many prices I need my attention positive towards Jesus negative towards Jesus was just curious and wondering.

Do some of the work spend some time with him spray. I thank you for your teaching and your word.

Thank you for this time to set aside to actually do well on your scriptures and think through how it might impact Our Lives. 54 ways in which we can leave this a little open-ended with a question and asking that you would move in those places. We fix our gaze our Focus or hope our life on you. Are responding worship and praise because you are worthy of it, but also in prayer and pleading and asking because we are dependent upon you. I move in our church in this moment may be honest with ourselves and honest with one another. Tell them to us amen.