Developing a Kingdom Perspective
Matthew 13
Pastor Jerry Koller

From a chronological point of view of Jesus’ ministry, the 13th chapter of Matthew seems to be the beginning of when Jesus began using parables in the majority of His teaching.

All eight of these parables were delivered by Jesus on the same occasion or during a specific period of time.

The first complete parable Jesus delivered was that of the Sower and the Seed.

When we read, in Matthew 13:10 that The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” (Matt. 13:10), we assume they came to Him immediately after He delivered the parable. However, that probably was not the case.

Fulfillment of Prophecy

Five weeks ago, I talked about hidden things, secret things, or mysteries. You can listen to that message on our website or watch it on our YouTube page if you want.

Then he left the crowd and went into the house…
· Most likely it was the home where Jesus was staying (Matthew 4:13).

Overview: All eight parables address some aspect of the kingdom of God.

God’s kingdom is a central theme of Matthew’s gospel.
· “kingdom of God” 4x
· “kingdom of heaven” 33x
· “kingdom” 17x

The first mention of God’s kingdom in Matthew’s Gospel

This is the same message with which Jesus launched His earthly ministry. Matthew 4:17 states:

The kingdom is at hand because Jesus is in their midst.

Four of these parables, Jesus delivered in public, present the kingdom from a human viewpoint.
· The four that are given to the disciples deal with the kingdom from a divine perspective.
· In the first four parables, Jesus described two antagonistic forces at work in human history.
· There will be a long and continuous conflict between them.
· Kingdom of God vs. the world and the evil forces behind it.

The Sower and the Seed, reveals the nature of His mission.
The Wheat and Tares, there are two sowings.
· As the crop grows, the initial growth of both seed look very much alike.
· As they mature, the differences become very clear.
· The Mustard Seed/Tree and theYeast, we continue to see the continuing conflict between the world and its evil forces and the kingdom of God.

In the next four parables, Jesus is talking about the kingdom from a divine perspective.
· The Hidden Treasure
· The Pearl of Great Price
· The Net
· The Householder

Webster’s New College Dictionary defines kingdom as:
· a political or territorial unit ruled by a king or queen
· the realm over which God’s sovereignty extends

As far as the Old Testament is concerned, there were two key aspects:
· Authority Figure
· Realm or Territory

From Moses on, God worked through appointed mediators, great leaders such as Joshua and Samuel. Theologians call this a Mediatorial Kingdom.

Prophets of God foretold of a coming King:
· rule over God’s people
· establish His kingdom on earth
· dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever

The Prophets also foretold that the coming kingdom would also be spiritual in nature.
· bring personal salvation from the hand of God,
· divine forgiveness for sin,
· God’s own righteousness for men,
· moral and spiritual cleansing,
· a new heart, a new spirit, and so on.

1. Those who are in Christ are kingdom citizens.
· We do not become kingdom citizens on our own.
· We come by invitation.
· The Holy Spirit draws us.

Therefore, our loyalty must be directed to Him and Him alone.

2. His realm or territory over which He rules is not confined to a physical geographical location.

3. A simple definition:
· The kingdom of God is where Jesus reigns supreme.
· It refers to God's righteous reign in the earth, mediated by His Son, Jesus Christ—who send His servants into the world to bear kingdom fruit—fruit that will glorify the King.
· The kingdom has a present aspect to it.
· It also has a future aspect to it.

· Vicki Olson is recovering from corrective surgery on both of her feet. Pray for a speedy recovery and patience as she is confined to bed while she heals.
· Rafael Cabrera (friend of Bob & Kim Collins) is recovering from a kidney transplant. He has fluid filling one of his lymph nodes which is then putting pressure on an artery causing his blood pressure to be high. Pray that draining the fluid will solve the issue and he will not need an additional surgery to have a stent inserted.
· Bruce & Vasha Ferguson and their family upon the death of their niece, Melissa Thompson, on 1/15. Please keep her husband, four children and only brother in prayer as well.
· Norman Forrest (friend of Bruce & Vasha Ferguson) who is grieving the loss of his wife, Vicki, on 1/14.
· Jim Seagren (friend of Stan Robinson) has liver and pancreatic cancer. Determining treatment options.
· Gena Bassett has found a new job. Thank you for your prayers!.
· Steve Follman is recovering from surgery for a total knee replacement.
· Randy Follman (brother of Steve Follman) is recovering from hip replacement surgery.
· Deborah Kirby (Vasha Ferguson's sister) is in a rehab center following a massive stroke in July 2020. Pray that medicare/medicaid insurance can be upgraded to cover needed treatment. Her recovery is slowly progressing and although it is greatly painful, she is gaining movement on the left side with the help of therapy.
· Lynn Rarick continues to deal with hip issues. Pray that a resolution can be figured out.
· Check out our monthly prayer card on-line at southhavenfbc.com under “Weekly Bulletins” for a list of those with on-going needs.

First Baptist Church
1635 76th Street
South Haven, MI 49090
269-637-1291
southhavenfbc@gmail.com