Rejection of the New Kingdom

Eric Tomeo

Kingdom of Heaven • Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago

Hosea 6:6

Matthew 21:18–19

Matthew 21–23

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Notes

Transcript

Handout

Countdown

Something fun (eg. Game, video, etc.). It is not necessary for this to have a tie in to the lesson, but it can.

Introductions

This is culture

Basic Opening Statement: We are glad that you are here with us at bcsm and we want you to know, more than anything, that you have a community of people here that love and care about you. This is a safe space to process your faith and ideas, to ask questions. You have a purpose or a place within this community which means we are better off with you than without you and you have a mission outside of this community. All of that rests on this one foundational truth that we want you to hear and want you to share: God wants to have a relationship with you.

You have community. You have purpose. You have a mission. You have truth.

I am _______________ and before we start, let me pray.”

*Pray for God to use what you have to say to move someone further along in their journey towards Jesus.*

Story Time

Tell a quick story that introduces the message

Nemo clip

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCDG2U9Mcsc&list=PLjZ2aRrvvgqp2NhFvVMZlYMY-coSdprn0&index=5

Why did the other fish think Marlin would be funny?

Have you ever made a wrong assumption about somebody because of the way they looked?

Why is it easier to judge a book by its cover?

Catch Up

Where we have been in the series. Where we are going.

We are continuing our Kingdom of Heaven series where we will are exploring the very first book of the New Testament, Matthew, a couple chapters at a time. Matthew is one of four biographies of Jesus that we have in the Bible, we call them the gospels, or good news.

Now we can not cover everything. But if you want to dig a little deeper, you can go to thebcsm.com for our daily devotions that follow along with what we talk about on Sunday Mornings.

Now to catch you up, so far we have talked about most of Jesus’ ministry and we are getting into the final big teaching section of Matthew today. But first the text tells us a few stories and this is one of the strangest.

Cool, let’s jump in.

Scripture

Read or summarize main Scripture with a little surrounding context. Ask a couple of questions to about the text.

Matthew 21:18–19 (ESV)

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

18 In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry. 19 And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once.

So someone explain to me what is happening here.

Why do you think Matthew would include this story?Is there something bigger happening here?

Why was Jesus disappointed with the fig tree?

What if the fig tree was a picture of something bigger? What do you think this story could be pointing at?

Tension/ Main Point

What is the rub? Create some questions and feeling in the minds of your students around the main point of the lesson.

So as we have been working our way through Matthew the story arc goes something like this. Jesus comes on the scene looking like he is going to be the Messiah. Then people start repenting and being baptized because of John’s message that the Messiah was coming. John is warning the religious leaders that they need to hop on board the jesus train, but they are reluctant. But Jesus starts teaching people about the upside down Kingdom of Heaven and he starts demonstrating his power through miracles and healings.

So as Jesus is revealing who He is more and more you would expect the religious leaders who were hesitant at first to accept him, to start to come around. But what we see is this hardening effect take place. The more Jesus shows that he is who he says he is, the more they start to hate him, to reject him. We even see Jesus’ earliest supporter start to doubt. I think he probably came around, but it is like this tragic story where Jesus is clearly demonstrating his power and authority and no one is paying attention. Well, at least, not who you would expect.

And the thing is, these leaders who are rejecting Jesus are precisely the ones that should accept him. They agree theologically with a lot of what Jesus teaches, but they are not applying it. From a distance it would look like they were healthy followers of God.

Let’s say they were a tree. When a tree looks good in the summer, what does it have on it?

Leaves. Right?

If it is a fruit tree what should it also have on it?

Fruit. or flowers.

You guys are science wizzes.

Who benefits from the leaves of a tree?

Maybe some bugs and things, but mainly the leaves benefit the tree. Photosynthesis etc.

Who benefits from the fruit?

We do, right?

So this story is Jesus saying to the religious leaders, I don’t want a lot of leaves. I want fruit.

Don’t worry about what you look like. Worry about what you are producing. Kind of like this verse in Hosea 6:6

Hosea 6:6 (ESV)

6 For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,

the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

Response

We respond every week with an invitation to baptism and communion.

I think a lot of times we think of following Jesus as keeping your nose clean. But the truth is, it is all about accepting that what Jesus says about you is true. You are loved by God.

When you truly accept that it calls for a response. Not so other people can say, “Wow, you are really good.” So other people can see a piece of God’s goodness through you. Sometimes that looks good to other people. Sometimes they might perceive it differently.

I was talking to a guy the other day who was saying I don’t look like a Christian. I do things that “good Christians” don’t do. I asked what he meant and one of the things he said was essentially, “the other day I was hanging out with my non-Christian friends and they are a rough crew.” Then he proceeded to tell me how he and one of those guys always tend to have a conversation about Christianity whenever they hang out and he is thinking that guy is close to accepting it.

That is fruit. Not leaves.

Is your life producing more fruit, or more leaves. Are you more concerned about looking the part of a Christian on the outside or to certain people, while inside you are struggling with your faith? Are you more concerned with loving Jesus than what that looks like to other people?

Right now, we are going to take communion together. This is something we do every week to remember what it cost Jesus to give us the opportunity to even choose. We eat the bread that reminds us of his broken body. We drink the juice to remember the blood poured out for our sakes. I am going to play a song and I would just ask you to feel free to move to grab communion, or if you want to talk with one of the adults, if you want to make a different decision today or you want someone to be praying for you, that is what we are here for. Just let us know. If you don’t want to move and just want to listen to the lyrics of the song, or pray, or read the Bible you can do that as well.

Song

Pick a song that centers around the main theme of the lesson.

Jon Forman- All of God’s Children

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Jizi9e0qtM

Discussion

Start with Prayer

When in your life were you the most disappointed?

Read Matthew 21:18-19

What types of “fruit” should appear in our lives as we grow as Christians?

Read Galatians 5:22-23

What are some ways Christians can look good to others from a distance and yet still be fruitless?

What change in your life today would enable you to become more fruitful?