The Kingdom: Part 3

The Salvation Army you're listening to wonderful words of life. Welcome back everybody were glad that you're joining us and I want to say a happy Valentine's Day coming up this Friday. I hope that you're all doing something special for your Valentine Jimmy yes I'm doing anything special for your email about this excellent surprise for my wife don't tell her but were were big, especially to really like it is. It is the thing that she values the most mom will be able to provide for her. I'm very excited. I love it. Now Jimmy you have a son and a daughter. Yes like what your life actually. So do you. Do you celebrate Valentine's Day with your kids like is your daughter, your Valentine is your son about time or times fall sometimes will take her kids out and due dates with them. Sure and just one we want to teach them what it really means to be valued by some of the opposite sex, but also we want to just show them that we love them here so much nothing I guess person but I love my kids give me my homemade cards and shut it just makes you feel so loved. There you go, what you are loved.

Jimmy, thank you you love is well in our series, the least of these today. Robin Heather continued to discuss the kingdom of God and how we operate within that kingdom.

Specifically in regards to caring for people in need, so I've had this series on my mind and I was pulling out of our parking lot the other day there was one of the regular individuals asking for money on the corner and I wanted your take on this. I know a lot of people don't give money in a situation like that because they feel they may be enabling a bad habit and for me, quite honestly, I never carry cash these days either. So living out the kingdom. He responded that Jimmy you know I have the exact same situation where I see people regularly that are inside panhandling asking for cash asking for something and you go will in my really going to be helping this person sotheygoingtodrinkthis.Aretheygoingtospendthisonsomethingthattheyshouldn'tspinofftheytheysaythey'rehungryotherreallyhungryandIjusthadaconversationwiththeLordaboutitandjustsaidyouknowIgotfivedollarsinmypocket.WhatdoaboutthisintheLord.Atthatmomentinhissaidgiventhefivedollarsisnotyourresponsibilitywithwhattheydowiththatisthatyou'rebeingfaithfultohimaskingyoutodoandIreallythinkformanyofusisjustwhatistheLordleavingyoutodoandareyoubeingfaithfulandobedientwiththeLordleavingyoutodoiftheLordisaskingyoutogobuythemamealthenaskedthemifyoucanbuythemamealifit'shandingoutcashthenaskedthemoraskedtheLordtogiveyouguidanceandIknowpeoplethatcarryaroundbagsoffoodandstuffinthecarandtheygivethemnotesthatthepeopleforgetit'sit'sjustseeingsomebodyastheyarenotastheyareinoureyes,butthattheyhavevalueinthattheyaretheLord'schild,andthenrespondingthroughthatmeasure,asopposedtowhateveryourpreconceivednotionthisyeahit'sdifficultforsurebecause,particularlyinmajormetropolitanareas.YouwillfindamorepeoplethatarepanhandlingoraskingformoneyandpeoplelikeJimmyorwehaveamutualfriendinMarkBell,anotherSalvationArmyofficerwhoIgottoworkwithinWashingtonDCwho,wheneversomeonewouldseehimonthestreetandisuniformlynewthathemightbesomeonewillingtoofferhelp,buthewouldn'tjustpulloutmoneyandhandedtohim.HehewouldinevitablysaywillcanIbuyyouamealyouknowwouldwalkintoaMcDonald'soraChick-fil-A.Whateveryourlovelanguages–secretawaybysomethingsowhateveritiswehopethatyouwillatleastopenyoureyestotheleastoftheseinyourcommunitywhereveryouareandunderstandthatasweencourageyouthroughthesemessagestojustseeyourfellowmanasachildofGod,somewithvalue,beencouragedtobeinspiredandbeequippedtomakeachangeinyourcommunity.Enjoythismessageandwillseeyounextweekonwonderfulwordsoflife.We'vebeentalkingaboutthekingdomandIlovehowthekingdomiswovenintomystory,ourstoryandthestoryaswegoouttoengagetheworldbecauseasJesustaughtaboutthekingdom.Evenintheseparables.Itwasn'tjustfromapulpitrightJesusisouttherewiththepeopleteachingaboutthekingdomandtheycomeintheformofthesenarrativeparablesandsomeofthemhavedifferentinterpretationsandtheycanbehardtoevenunderstand,butashebringsthisideaofthekingdomforward,ImeanheevensaysinMatthew13,youknowtheylookbuttheydon'treallyseetheyhearbuttheydon'treallylistenorunderstand.AndIguessthatbeginsinmeasIlookatthekingdom.IreallywanttounderstandGod'skingdom.Understandmyplaceinitandandseeitandunderstandit'sfairbecauseasfollowerswewanttoknowallthethingsbecauseyouwanttoknowhowtodoallthethingsyouwantgreatresultsandIdoeverythingperfectly.Nevermakeamistakeunderstandallthingsmaybeseekingthespiritandtheinferencethatit'simportanttolookatScripturewithsoberjudgmentbecauseasJesustaughtinparables,evensomedisciplesrightwherehe'sspeakinginparableslikethatrightsoifwegobacktoMatthewchapter13verse10JesushasjustfinishedthisbeautifulLakesideconversationwithcrowdsandteachingmeparableoftheseller,whichislovethatparable.ThedisciplescametohimandIcan'tbecauseI'mbeingdownliketakingthesidelikeleaningcloselikesowhat'swiththeparablethinglikespeakinginthatwayortheylikeorareyouupsetwithusbecausewecanbringbreadsoitgoesonbecausetheparablethewayofteachinginparables.Itwaspleasantnew,butobviouslyitrequiresalittlemoreworkontheendofthelistenerwhichisjustlikeJesustosellhegivesisthatIhavetorespondwhenitissalvationinvitationorwhetherthat'stheinvitationtodiscipleshiptofollowinghimtobeingabelieverinherclassandworkonmypartandit'snotlikeyouhavetorackmybraintofigureoutthatIhavetoleaninandsohesaystohisdisciplesinMatthewchapter13verse11.Liketheknowledgeofthesecretsofthekingdomofheavenhasbeengiven).SoIreadearlierthathesaysyouknowtheylookbuttheydon'treallysee}13right.Theyhearbuttheydon'treallylisten,andthenhegoesonrightafterthatandhesayswhenyouhearwhatIsayyouwillnotunderstandwhenyouseewhatIdo,youwillknockcomprehend.NowIknowIdon'twanttobethatpersonthathearsJesusanddoesn'tunderstandwhathesayingIdon'twanttobethatpersonthatseeshimanddoesn'tdowhatI'msupposedtodo.Sohegoesoninthisreallycoolplaceinverse15hesaysfortheheartsofthesepeoplearehardenedandtheirearscannothearit'sbecauseitrequiresustodesiretoknowwhathemeansandthereisamixedgroupofpeoplegatheredtheirrightsandyou'vegotallkindsoffolksthatgatheredtohearJesuseveninhisdiscipleshegotalldifferentkindsofpeoplerepresenteddiscipleshipgroupofthose12disciples,someofthempolaroppositepoliticalviewsanddifferentwaysoflivinglife.Soeveninhisyoungerpeoplehaddifferencesofopinioninthegreenandthereatdifferentlevelsofcommitment.SowhenhesanghiscoinfromtheOldTestamentinverses13,14,15.HesaidI'mspeakingthatprophecythatsayslikethere'sanypeoplethattheyshowthatcallusedrightliketheyhearmywords,butit'sgoingandwhenyou'retryingtoknowmeright.Andit's–ifyouhadaconversationwithsomebodyandallthey'redoingislisteningtoyoutofindwhereyou'rewrongtofindwhentheycanpoketheirfingerinaweakargumentandmaketheirpointbetter.ThosearenotpeoplethatarelongingtoknowJesus.Thosearepeoplethathavecometoaplaceofhardeningoftheirheartandexcludedtheygettohearittoyoubuteachofusisresponsibleforthestateofourownheartrightandinthisplaceofhavingahardhardaswelookdownattheendofverse15whatitsaysistheycannotturntomelaughsolikeyouknowifweendupwiththisplaceofhearthardware.Whatwerehearingdoesn'tmakesenseandwillwereseeingwerenotabletowalkitoutastheauthentictherealJesusmeansthatthenunabletoturntowardshimandbewithhimrightsotheninthatscenariolikewhatdowefindpeopleturningtowhentheycanturntoJesus,theyturnedtotheirownintellecttotheirownunderstanding.TheyturnedtorulesandregulationsastheyunderstandthatJesusactuallyparallels.ThesetwowaysallthroughoutMatthew1314sothinkingaboutMatthewchapter13verse33andheit'sfunnybecauseitstartsby.Hetoldtheparable,whichisunlikely.Therearemanyparallelsinarow,buthesaidthekingdomofheavenislikeyeastawomantouchandmixedintoabout60poundsofflouruntilitworkedallthroughtheDelcityofheavenislikethis.Nowyoudon'tneedalotofflourlike60poundsoffireisfullatleastafileoralittlebitofyeastworks,flowerlikeisoutrageousandcantakethatflowerthatflattastelessfloweringtransformitintobrandintosomethingthatyoucanusetonursepeoplerightin.WhenwereintherightposturewhenherheartisandthatrightconditionthatrightrelationshipwithGod.JustthatlittlebittyworksitswaythroughinakingdomwayWITHJesusandwithhimthekingdomofGod.Ourlifecandeflectupsidedownsolookslikeourpriorities.CiteDaniellikeyouthinkoflikecelebritieswhohavelikeaJesusencounteredandallofasuddenthey'redoingsomethingcompletelydifferentthanwhattheyweredoingbeforeintheworldislike.BecausethekingdomofheavenissosurprisinginmyownlifelikeyouknowwhenImetJesuslikemylifeflippedupsidedownandmadeIchangedalotofbehaviorsIchangealotofprioritiesandsothankfulthattheScriptureisinhere.ItremindsusthatfollowingJesus.WearebuildingthekingdomwerelivinginthekingdomofGod.Wewillbemovedtomakedecisionsandchoicesthatsometimesseemverycrazytotheworldaroundusrightinthekingdomishereandnow.Soyoucaninthatparable,there'sthefarmerinthefieldwhojuststumblesuponitanddiscoversthistreasureverserightafterthatthere'samerchantisactuallyoutsearchingforfinepearlsrightandwhenhefindsthem.He'sallinaswellanditjustleadsintoanothercomparisondownbelowwereeventhePharisees,thereligiousfolksthatgettodiscoverthekingdomtothisastheybringtreasuresofgoldandtreasuresofthekingdomisherenowbutthekingdomisalsoforeveryonereallyisandsoaswetalkabouttheleastofthese,youknow,thekingdomisnotsomethingthatseparatesusfromtheleastofthese.Thekingdomiswhatconnectsustothosethataresufferinganddyinginaworldislostandexcitingtotalkaboutthekingdom.Thekingdomcomehereonearthasitisinheavennextweekweregoingtotalkaboutcountingthecost.JoinusnextweekonwonderfultheSalvationArmy'smissioninthemostgood.Helpingpeoplewithmaterialandspiritualneeds.YoubecomeapartofthismissioneverytimeyougivetotheSalvationArmyvisitSalvationArmyUSA.orgtoofferyoursupportandwewouldlovetohearfromyou.Emailusatradio@uss.salvationarmy.org or call 1-800-229-9965 or write us at PO Box 29972, Atlanta, GA 30359 when you contact us will send you our gift for this series is totally free for listeners like you, one per household, while supplies last.

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