Badenoch Free Church

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Sunday Morning 7th Oct 2007
 
Mat 13 v24f
Intro: from v24 - 50 we have Jesus teaching about the Kingdom of Heaven.
Before we go onto that we need to note what Jesus is doing.
What is he doing? Teaching! V2-3 there is a large crowd and what does Jesus do?
He teaches! Through teaching comes liberation. When we learn something and it all falls into place!
Teaching was a massive part of his mission - see v34-35!
What do we want most from our Lord today?
If it is not liberating teaching that we want from Jesus as his disciples then there is something wrong!
Jesus came all the way from heaven to earth and the main reason for that was to set us free. To liberate us.
The main way we enjoy that liberation as disciples after we have been forgiven is through His teaching.
So what are we here for? To sit at the feet of the Teacher. To learn, grow and mature.
What are we to do when we leave here? Work out His teaching in our life.
So to v24-50
The theme is the Kingdom of Heaven and the points he makes are these
The kingdom starts small - even invisibly - but eventually permeates through everything and becomes huge.
The kingdom is exceedingly valuable for those who find it.
The kingdom will one day be made perfect.
1) the kingdom Grows and permeates vv31-33
The mustard seed represents how small the kingdom can look.
Those watching from the outside think it’s tiny.
Yet by its nature is massive and powerful.
From the outside we may look small. But we are not. We represent he kingdom of heaven! We represent a multitude that no one can number.
The yeast represents the permeating and invisible effects of the kingdom.
Even though we are just a small amount we can be an influence for great good.
Only eternity will unveil the good that the kingdom has brought to this world.
Application: We are called to live by faith, not by sight.
At the moment it might not look like we are part of a mighty Kingdom!
But that is the truth!
the kingdom is alive and kicking! Be encouraged!
 
(note: these two parable can be taken to mean the exact opposite. See Charles Price: commentary on Matthew, CFP).
 
V34-35: words of explanation from the author.
 
 
2) the kingdom is costly yet priceless. V44-46.
For those in the kingdom we know this. We know we have what we could never afford.
We’ve been given a gift! We have been given God! That is why it’s priceless. It is God. The One who loves and cares for us. Adores us! Would do anything for us! Gives us life and forgiveness!
You can’t buy or earn these things.
In the kingdom we are rich! We have God. The world is ours and everything in it!
V44: think of the Man as Jesus. Giving up everything to save us. Think of us as the treasure He came to save.
What if your not in the Kingdom?
No sacrifice would be too much to get into the kingdom.
You might have to give up your self reliance. Some private sin that you are clinging onto! But it is worth “selling all you have” to get it.
Take a risk on the kingdom!
3) the kingdom will be made perfect. V24-30,36-43 and 47-50
 
These two parables are saying the same thing.
In the world just now the Kingdom Dwellers and those outside the Kingdom mingle and live together.
Wherever the gospel is at work the devil will be at work too!
The devils work is to imitate the real thing!
Yet one day this will all change.
There will be a separation!
V30 & v40-43 wheat and weeds
48-49 - good and bad fish.
The effect of the separation:
For those who do not believe there will be total sadness and loneliness.
 
Note: this darkest judgement is for those who pretended to be real Christians! Real wheat or real fish! Yet all the time they were part of the visible church they were rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ!
For those who believe there will be perfection. Unity, perfect peace, satisfaction. Rest.
What are we to do with this teaching?
V43 & 51.
We are to come to terms with the Kingdom now!
 
 
 
sunday evening
 
Philippians 2v5. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
“Attitude” is all important.
What kind of attitude do you have towards life?
Laid back attitude… Worried/ anxious attitude…. Couldn’t care less attitude… winning attitude - football teams- positive attitude, glass half full or half empty etc
Gratitude Attitude! Bad Attitude!
 
What is “attitude” anyway? attitude -
- the way a person views something or tends to behave towards it, often in an evaluative way
 
The word attitude in the text refers to the way we think.
So we are to think a certain way - we are to have a certain “Attitude.”
Our attitude is to be the same as that of Christ Jesus.
 
Note: our attitude is not to be simply ‘like’ Christ’s, but the ‘same’ as Christ’s.
The command here doesn’t leave any room for excuses! We can’t say, ‘well that was
Him!’ - because we are called here to have the same attitude!
As disciples of Jesus Christ this is what we are to strive for, nothing less. We can’t be happy with bad attitudes, with always getting it wrong and showing no improvement. As disciples we are to become more and more like our great Teacher.
So then what was the Attitude of Christ Jesus? A humble, willing, obedient, attitude.
“Paul presents Jesus as the supreme example of humility. He urges humility on the Philippians as the only way to secure unity. ” R.W.P.
 
1: Sacrificial attitude:
V6 “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,”
He did not demand to hold onto his rights! Though he was God and equal with God he
willing gave up all the rights that came with that position!
Imagine Queen giving up her rights?
Is that your attitude today? Are you willing to give up what is rightfully yours for the sake of the kingdom of God?
Do we have anything “rightfully ours” ?
All we have is God’s
 
2. Servant attitude
V7 “but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.”
Not only did he happily give up his rights as God he “made himself nothing”. From a position of glory and power and perfection to “nothing”.
We talk about people who are very modest and say they “Hide their light under a bushel.”
 
Here the Lord of Glory makes himself “nothing.”
And he does that by “taking the form of a servant”. A Servant! Just think of that for a
moment. The one who is God, who is equal with God becomes a Servant! A doulos -
a slave!
What is the attitude we are to learn form and have here? If we are to have the same attitude of Christ we are to have a “Servant” attitude.
No matter how important or great you are, you are to be a servant!
What will that look like today?
Mt 23:11 “The greatest among you will be your servant.”
“John 13:12-17 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. 13 "You call me `Teacher' and `Lord', and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. ”
So the mindset of Jesus was one that was willing to give up ‘rights’, and ‘serve’.
What else?
 
3. an unStoppable attatude
 
V8 “ And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross!”
Jesus came down from heaven leaving all the glory of that position behind to become
a servant. But not just any servant! He was an obedient servant! Who became obedient
even to death on a cross!
What was his attitude? He didn’t grumble or complain, or say I’ve done enough, no more now! He continued to humble himself, he continued to obey!
relentlessly obey!
never gave up!
 
Is that our attitude? Or do we think we’ve done our bit now its up to someone else? We’re to have the same attitude as Christ! No job should be too great or small.
We can’t say I’m not going to obey there, that is just too much!
4. Final Attitude: humbly accepting the praise that was given.
 
V9 “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. ”
What attitude do we see in Christ here that we are to have? He accepted the praise that
was due to him! There was no false modesty about Jesus.
Sometimes we simply have to accept the praise and appreciation of others. And we have to give honour where honour is due. We tend to veer on the side of false modesty which is better than arrogance but we are to have the same attitude as Christ.
One day we will be lifted up - glorified, rewarded.
Until the - We are to encourage one another - build one another up, not criticise and destroy!
“Hebrews 3:13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.”
 
Well you say this is all rather a tall order!
So let us focus again on the text! V5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Not telling us to run out and do a million and one things!
It is only telling us to do one thing! And that is sort out your attitude, your mindset.
The question is how do we do that?
1. By doing what we have just done and meditating on Christ.
2. Assessing our attitude as it is at the moment.
Repenting of wrong attitudes. Praying for changed attitudes.
3. Work at it: remember that being a disciple is a lifetime of hard work and learning to follow Christ. V12 “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed-- not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence-- continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, ”