In Matthew 7:12-29, we have reached the end of the first set of Jesus’ teachings. He does not let his hearers off easy. Not in the slightest. He requires that hearers must be doers and the doers must be open to the way of Jesus. Jesus is not searching for adherence to principles, but hearts ready to respond with a transformed heart and to live according the Golden Rule.

Graciously, Jesus gives us the heart to follow him, but even that requires us to respond to his gift. “In each of the four basic warnings—two gates and roads (7:13–14), two kinds of prophets (7:15–20), two kinds of disciples (7:21–23), and two foundations (7:24–27)—a choice must be made: Are you with Jesus or against him? There is no middle ground, no other choice, and a decision must be made—a decision with eternal consequences” (Michael J. Wilkins, NIV Application Commentary).

These passages can be troubling because they call out deep fears in us. Are we on the inside or the outside of the kingdom? Remember, he is talking to a mixed crowd of disciples who would be tempted to keep their traditions and foundations built on the the status quo without allowing Jesus to be the fulfillment of all they had learned. Also we are warned that we cannot use Jesus for our own means while relying on another foundation. Check out the message, “Do You Follow? A Warning and A Response” here.

Kingdom Spirituality Part 2 – Matthew 7:1-12 – One of the most dominant views about Christians today is that they are judgmental. According to the Barna Research Group and The Fermi Project (“A New Generation Expresses its Skepticism and Frustration with Christianity,” September 2007), a study of people ages 16–29 in the United States, nearly 90 percent of respondents said that Christians were judgmental in the way they practice their faith. If you are like me you can immediately justify your position and minimize their perception. I might say, “What they are doing is wrong and so they feel God’s judgment and they put it on us.” 

That seems like a good justification, but then comes Jesus. He says, in his Kingdom, interpersonal spirituality looks like not condemning and speaking evil of one another. Rather, we are to be merciful, seeking clarity, and understanding before even trying to address the issue in other brothers and sisters. This is clearly a complex issue, but so are the people (and their motivations or instincts) we are engaging. He is the judge and we would do well to not engage the amending of another’s character without plenty of self reflection and empathic tears. Jesus says we need wisdom; wisdom from above. This is something we need to ask for in order to receive and not give up.

Then Jesus launches into our distrust of the Father’s character and tells us that the Father is loving, attentive, and present. He wants us to pray for the kingdom to come and to be an active partner in bringing about his kingdom. What after all is the kingdom other than his will being done in and through his people? Take a listen to this message from March 4, “Do You Follow? Kingdom Spirituality” and tell me what you think it means when Jesus says to not be judgmental.

There is a whole universe of thought in Matthew chapter 4. I hope you read through it and get lost for while. Hopefully not 40 days. I’m kicking myself that I didn’t split this teaching up into multiple weeks and, admittedly, the message is pretty thick.

After his baptism, Jesus enters his ministry as the Spirit-anointed and Father-confirmed messianic deliverer. Humans have been unleashing sin, darkness, hell on earth for millennia and God loves his creation and Jesus arrives on the scene saying the time has come to bring the reign of God, the kingdom of heaven to invade earth and confront evil.

The first test of what kind of king Jesus will be comes in the wilderness. Will Jesus lord it over people as the nations do? Just how will he rule his people and destroy the power of the devil? We have a knee-jerk reaction to power as it is so often used against the poor.

After the testing in the wilderness, Jesus forms a new people who will be in his kingdom with him. They ARE the poor, the marginalized, those without a voice. This new people take their identity from Jesus and learn from him how to do what he was doing (discipleship). With his disciples, he shares the euangelion, the royal announcement, the Gospel.

As the kingdom advances, the territory in our hearts becomes his and we have the opportunity to be partners in his kingdom advance.

What is his kingdom like? What was the message Jesus shared? How did he show and tell the message? The messianic deliverer teaches the crowds, confronts evil powers (demons) and heals the sick. Follow along in the teaching series with this message “Do You Follow? The Kingdom Advances” here.

It is hard to imagine the impact of John the Baptist in our culture today. We have street corner “prophets” of a sort today, but they are speaking a foreign spiritual language to those walking by. It is hit or miss, but mostly miss.

John spoke in the voice of the prophets (especially Elijah) who would have been the heroes and heralds of hope in the days of Jesus. John’s renewal movement within Judaism piqued the interest of everyone. His disciples were ready for something new and looking for the return of the reign of Yahweh (The Creator God as revealed in the Bible). They would do whatever it took to prepare the way for the Messiah. The religious establishment was intrigued, but not repentant. The Tetrarch (King over 1/4 of the region) Herod Antipas didn’t like John’s meddling with his marital goals.

Does John have a word for you? Are you Repentant or Resistant or Rebellious? What does that even mean?

Find out with this teaching from Matthew 3 that I gave on January 21. Feel free to join us at Issaquah Christian Church, Sundays at 10:30am. http://www.iccweb.org

This teaching is from The Gospel of Matthew Chapter 2 grab your Bible or go here.

King Herod seems to be a particularly brutal king, but I wonder if his response is much different than ours when our kingdoms are threatened. Granted he had more power that we, but the fear produced in him by the euangelion, the royal announcement, is a fear we often deal with. When the fear is real we know that our brains shut down certain parts of thinking and we engage “fight or flight” mode. This leads us to engage in behaviors of self protection and self promotion. We know from John who learned from Jesus that perfect love drives out fear (1 John 4:18).  Jesus announced a kingdom of love based on the greatest command to love God and love neighbor.

Take a listen to the sermon here and let me know what you are thinking.

Take a listen and/or read these lyrics from Clay Crosse and give it some thought.

Artist Clay Crosse (1999) https://youtu.be/jVrElcu4-Ps

I have wrestled in the darkness
of this lonely pilgrim land
Raising strong and mighty fortresses
that I alone command

But these castles
I’ve constructed by the
strength of my own hand
Are just temporary kingdoms
on foundations made of sand

In the middle of the battle
I believe I’ve finally found
I’ll never know the thrill of victory
’til I’m willing to lay down

All my weapons of defense and
earthly strategies of war
So I’m laying down my arms and
running helplessly to Yours

I surrender all my silent hopes and dreams
Though the price to follow costs me everything
I surrender all my human soul desires
If sacrifice requires
That all my kingdoms fall
I surrender all

If the source of my ambition
is the treasure I obtain
If I measure my successes on
a scale of earthly gain

If the focus of my vision
is the status I attain
My accomplishments are
worthless and my efforts are in vain

So I lay aside these trophies
to pursue a higher crown
And should You choose somehow
to use the life I willingly lay down

I surrender all the triumph for
it’s only by Your grace
I relinquish all the glory,
I surrender all the praise

Everything I am, all I’ve done,
and all I’ve known
Now belongs to You,
the life I live is not my own
Just as Abraham laid Isaac
on the sacrificial fire
If all I have is all that You desire
I surrender all
Songwriters: DAVID E. MOFFITT, REGIE GLENN HAMM
© Universal Music Publishing Group