Thursday: Receiving the Words of the Kingdom
A mountaintop wasn’t the only place Jesus preached. He preached the same message of the kingdom all over Israel. Matthew 13 records Jesus teaching from a boat, “while all the people stood on the shore” (Matt. 13:2, NIV). Jesus then told the people parables intended to drive home the importance of not only hearing His word but applying it.
Read Matthew 13:44-52. What is being said here in these parables that is of particular importance to us in understanding how to apply to our lives the truths revealed in the Sermon on the Mount?
Image © John Baker from GoodSalt.com
Two points stand out in the first two of these stories. In both, there is the idea of separation, of getting rid of what one has in order to obtain something new, be it treasure in a field or a pearl. The other crucial point is the great value each man placed on what he had found. In both cases, they went and sold all that they possessed in order to get it. Though we cannot buy salvation (Isa. 55:1-2, ) the point of the parables is clear: nothing we have in this kingdom, this world, is worth our losing out on the next one.
Thus, to apply to our lives what God asks of us, we need to make a choice to separate ourselves from all the things of the world, of the flesh, and let God’s Spirit fill us instead (see Rom. 8:5-10). This might not be easy; it will require a death to self and a taking up of one’s cross. But if we always have before us the value and the worth of what we are promised, we should have all the motivation we need to make the choices that we must.
Read the last parable (Matt. 13:47-50). This, too, is talking about a separation. In what ways does the separation seen in the first two parables help us to understand what is happening in the third parable?
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"we need to make a choice to separate ourselves from all the things of the world, of the flesh, and let God’s Spirit fill us instead (see Rom. 8:5-10). This might not be easy; it will require a death to self and a taking up of one’s cross."
"All things of the world"? How does one know when the are at the all things point? Did Jesus do this?
"of the flesh" Examples?
"God's Spirit fill us" How?
"death to self" What does this mean?
"taking up one's cross" How is this different than "death to self"?
this is even physically true because a cup filled with water cannot be filled again with petrol.one can only fill it with petrol after pouring the water out.somehow if you decide to pour the water halfway to add petrol,what you get there is ugly mixture which is very difficult to even name it
Well illustrated.We decide to pour the petrol and be filled with water or we shall remain the same with no change.
"nothing we have in this kingdom, this world, is worth our losing out on the next one".This is so true a statement, we can really loose our way if we hold on to the things of this world.Our hope of getting a good job for survival in a fast pace society is not worth our salvation.For example completing a course of study which I had to withdraw from,doing the class was a lot of pressures to gain that degree. It requires extra time that was tempting my faith.God took care of it.He said my soul salvation is worth fighting for not the course.He is our provider. He owns everything,He said in time you will get to graduate just wait.It was hard to understand at first, but Wednesday lesson is very reassuring. Psalm 50:10 "Cattle upon a thousand hill belongs to God."
God Himself will separate the sheeps from the goat when He returns and there will be gnashing of teeth.
Today we have people making powerpoint presentations to get their messages across to their audiences. Jesus the greatest teacher of all times is seen here appealing to the senses so the kingdom message can truly make a practical impact on his disciples and the multitudes. He talked about the land especially (I think) to those who tilled the land and the beautiful pearl on those who want to decorate their bodies. The thing I want to leave is about the dragnet parable. I appeal to Adventists to see the dragnet as the word of God and those in the net (Adventists) to 'replace the old with the new' God bless!
When we come to Christ and sacrifice everything in his altar, we died to the world. When the Angels come to separate the good from the bad we will be found among those that sold everything they have to follow Christ. Self sacrifice is a must to please God. We can only live for one master God or self, if we live for God we will please him. If we live for self, the end is death. May the Lord allow us to live for him. Amen!
Esther
Lord give me strength to seek you and find you in a way that promotes sacrifice on my end. That i may walk in the spirit and rebuke the Flesh. And in the end meet dwell with you in the kingdom forever. AMEN!
The choice we make to separate ourselves from the things of this world, be it riches, fame, power or anything that prevents full 100% surrender of SELF to God's will and His way, (as implied by the first two parables) indicates how much value we place on our heavenly heritage. We must get to the place where, like the Apostle Paul, we are "crucified with Christ" so that He solely occupies the throne of our hearts and lives and reigns in us. (Gal. 2:20).
The decision to give up everything we have and are for the "pearl of great price", the kingdom of God, is the least we can do, yet we can only accomplish this feat by the enabling power of God's Holy Spirit in our lives. Day by day we must "take up our cross", follow Jesus and die to self. Nothing that we lose for the sake of God's kingdom will be worth it. After all, "what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul, or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Mark 8:36-37).
How we receive the Words of the Kingdom will determine on which side of the final separation we will be when the angels will "separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire" (Matt. 13:49-50). I pray each of us will be among the good vessels.
NOTHING BETWEEN
Nothing between my soul and my Savior,
Naught of this world’s delusive dream;
I have renounced all sinful pleasure;
Jesus is mine, there’s nothing between.
Refrain:
Nothing between my soul and my Savior,
So that His blessed face may be seen;
Nothing preventing the least of His favor;
Keep the way clear! Let nothing between.
Nothing between, like worldly pleasure;
Habits of life, though harmless they seem,
Must not my heart from Him ever sever;
He is my all, there's nothing between.
Thank you for the good, clear, thoughts Claudette. And yes, I am sure I would enjoy singing all these wonderful old songs with you.
"... keep the way clear! Let nothing between."
Looking forward to that time, too, Stewart, when all of us will finally meet up and sing together. What a day! Blessings to you too and lots of loving regards to all the family!
I need to abandon the TV; at least after theee news.
Matthew 13:49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, v 50 and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Our response to the pearl and the treasure now will result in what happens to us at the end of the age.
What I need to remind myself is that the pearl or the treasure is my choice to accept Jesus as the LORD and Master of my life. My actions are the fruit of my choice. My focus is on spending time with Jesus and allowing Him to change my heart and as a result my actions will change.
Take Dewey's comment "I need to abandon TV" (something with which I also struggled), it didn't help me to keep telling myself not to watch so much TV, what works is spending time talking to Jesus and reading/studying His Word until I didn't feel like watching TV - a miracle Jesus worked in my heart/character.
I used to be addicted to TV. I used to turn on the TV when I got up in the AM and watch it all day and all night until the next day and only get up to go to the bathroom and not even eat any food.
Then I read a passage from EGW that says regarding what Jesus said about casting off the eye or cutting off the hand etc. and she says that "The surrendering of the will is represented as casting off of the eye and cutting off of the hand." So I prayed to God, in the name of His son Jesus, to take my will in this matter.
And now, to this day, I still watch TV, but I use the TV to watch DVD's only and set a time limit on them that does not take up my time to do other things that are also important for my life like posting what I am posting now on this Sabbath School Lesson blog.
TV is a spiritual starver and a flesh feeder. It causes people to have a low appreciation for the bible and becomes an idol. I have reduced my TV watching by 90%. I do it by spending most of time reading and on the internet challenging people to beware of shallow. superficial, cliché churchianity and modern nominal Christian deceptions.
99% of nominal Christianity is deceived.
Thank you Shirley (your response)and Dewey (your question). I am also struggling with TV. It is good to know that someone has gained the victory over this challenge. I know the Holy Spirit is working within me because I now feel a sense of guilt when I neglect to spend time with Jesus -- reading/studying. Pray for me and thank you for sharing. I feel encouraged and know I too will have the victory! Thanks also Pete!
In Ephesians 3, Paul speaks of the love of Christ passing all other knowledge, or things we could spend time seeking to know. The “gospel” is the greatest treasure and best tidings a sinner could come to know. The more we learn about “the knowledge of God”, the more common and useless the things of the world seem in comparison. Many things once important to us, will become considered a waste of time and means as we desire to support the cause of Truth above all others.
The internet and social media can be addictive and have the same spiritually demeaning effect as the TV. We have to guard against both and ask God to help us to use them meaningfully to His glory and honour.
Anything you have use it to glorify God. If it can not be used to give God the glory, it doesn't belong in your life.