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Announcing the Kingdom: Zoom service 18th April 2021.

Welcome: Welcome to our Zoom service this morning. • Today we are continuing our series through Matthews Gospel.

Reading: Matthew 13: 31- 35 The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.” 33 He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.” 34 Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. 35 So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.”

Prayer: Father God, Jesus taught us to pray for your Kingdom to come. He told us it was near. Help us to seek your kingdom and make it real in us and in your church. We ask that you grow your kingdom in us like a mustard seed that grows in us and fills us with your truth and glory. We ask for your Holy Spirit to revive and empower us to be your servants and live in the light of your kingdom. In Jesus name we ask Amen

Worship Song:

Open Prayer: • Birthdays? • Week 3: Worship and Leadership Team • Other needs in the church and community

Reading: Matthew 4:12- 24 Jesus Begins to Preach 12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. 13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— 14 to fulfil what was said through the prophet Isaiah: 15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— 16 the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” 17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

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Jesus Calls His First Disciples 18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him. 21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Jesus Heals the Sick 23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them. 25 Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.

Sermon: Announcing the Kingdom

Introduction

Last week we looked at the temptation of Jesus. • We recognised the wilderness experience for 40 days as a time of preparation. • Now Jesus is ready to start his Ministry. • He has been baptised, • His ministry has been endorsed by God the Father. • He has been filled with the Holy Spirit. • And has undergone a period of preparation.

And now he begins his ministry. • We are told in verse 17. From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” (Matt 4:17) • Now we know from the following chapters called the ‘Sermon on the Mount.’ • That Jesus went on teach many things. • His sayings and parables are some of the greatest moral teachings ever known. • Yet here Matthew summarises it all with two phrases. • Repent • And the Kingdom of God is at hand.

I wonder if we were to think of the Gospel in one sentence. • What would we say? • I doubt we would choose this phrase. • I would make little sense to most people outside church.

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Maybe we would choose John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. • That certainly is a key verse. • Another one often used in Evangelistic talks is Revelation 3:20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

Again, this contains a lot of truth. • And we can see how it can help people respond to Jesus. • Although as you may be aware, • This verse was not written to those who didn’t know Jesus. • In its original context it is written to a church.

Jesus is standing at the door of a church. • And the Christians are offered the chance to let him in • As such, it is very challenging to us. • Do we, who call ourselves Christians, exclude Jesus from any part of our lives? • In this case the church is in Laodicea.

The Complacent Church If we can allow ourselves a little digression here. • Laodicea was one of the 7 churches that John mentions in Revelation. • In his vision he was given a prophetic message to each of them • Each was specific to that church’s situation. • Yet we can see how these messages can also be relevant to other churches. • As they face similar situations across the world or throughout history.

We can identify with them at different times. • Ephesus is very active and doing all the right things but have lost their first love. • Smyrna is very poor and about to face persecution. • Pergamon was in an immoral and depraved city and are in danger of being led astray • Thyatira are hard working but have allowed false teaching into the church. • Sardis have a good reputation but are dead and need to wake up. • Philadelphia are weak and persecuted but just manging to hold on to the truth.

And finally, Laodicea, famously complacent and lukewarm. • Jesus threatens to spit them out in disgust. These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. (Revelation 3:14-18) 4

It is stern stuff. • Jesus is laying it on the line. • Life was easy, they were prosperous and had become complacent. • And had forgotten their desperate need of Jesus.

Yet Jesus offers them some hope. • He has not given up on them. • He is just outside. • Ready and willing to come in. • As we read on, he says. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. 21 To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

So, we have the message of Jesus waiting to come in. • Sandwiched between the call to repent. • And the promise of sitting with the enthroned Jesus. • Repentance and the kingdom • ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” (Matt 4:17)

You see, Jesus is not preaching to non-believers. • This is God coming to his own people. • The Jews are God’s chosen people. • They had the law and the prophets. • As John puts it in his gospel He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

So, if we return to our passage in Matthew. • And look at these first accounts of Jesus’ ministry, • We see three things going on. 1. There is the teaching of Repentance and the kingdom. 2. The calling of disciples. 3. And Healing

And we are going to think briefly about each of these in turn. • Starting with repentance.

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Teaching of Repentance, and the Kingdom

Repentance, as we know, is not just about being sorry. • Nor is it regretting past actions or attitudes. • It literally means to turn around. • So, an essential part of repentance is taking on new attitudes and behaviour. • Turning away from sinful Godless ideas • And turning to Godly, Spirit led attitudes as found in Jesus.

Paul makes this clear to the Galatians, • They had turned back to some form of legalism. • And Paul wrote to remind them to change their thinking. • Or repent 16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Galatians 5:16-18

This is, again, written to Christians. • This message is for us, • Reminding us to be continually changing our thinking to be in line with God’s • As Paul tells the Romans Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)

This then ties into the teaching about the Kingdom. • God’s kingdom is not like our worldly kingdoms. • Its values are different from our values.

We see it the parables he tells. • So many of the ones Matthew records begin, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like…’ • A mustard seed, a net, a merchant looking for pearls, a king inviting guests to a feast. • I could go on, • The Phrase ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ occurs 31 times in Matthew’ Gospel. • Plus, the 5 times he mentions the Kingdom of God. • More than any other gospel.

This idea of kingdom values is nowhere better explained than in the Sermon on the Mount. • I understand this as being like the manifesto of the Kingdom of heaven. • When we have an election, each party sets out itsideals, plans and promises • In the hope that people will vote for them

As we read on in Matthew 5 • He begins with what we call The Beatitudes. • That list of characteristics that are to be admired in God’s Kingdom. 6

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them. He said: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

These ideals are completely different to the world’s values. • They are not easy for us to grasp. • They require a new way of thinking. • A new set of values. • This can only be achieved by turning around our lives.

Discipleship This brings us on to the second point. • The calling of the disciples • As we read earlier As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him. 21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Jesus called and his followers got up and followed. • These were people who knew him, had seen him grow up. • Yet they knew there was something special about him. • And left the security of their fishing community to wander around Isreal. • It is quite remarkable really.

It shows what can happen when we trust Jesus and allow him to change us. • They didn’t suddenly become super-saints. • They struggled to understand and follow all Jesus was saying and doing. • But they decided to follow him. • And just as Jesus turned their world upside down. • So, they went on to turn the whole world upside down in His name. 7

As his followers, Christians should be turning the world upside down. • We should be living radically different lives. • Lives governed by the kingdom and its values. • Lives of service and self-sacrifice, • Lives of love and service. • Because that is how Jesus lived. • And we see that in the final aspect of his ministry mentioned in Matthew 4.

Healing 23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them. 25 Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him. (Matthew 4:23-25)

I confess I find passages like this difficult. • Because it is so far removed from our own experience of God • It reminds us of our need for the Holy Spirit to work miraculously. • We read about it in the stories of Jesus and the early church. • We even have experienced it in a small way. • How I long for it to be an everyday reality for us today.

Clearly, Jesus saw his ministry in terms of compassion. • Mark records him telling the Religious leaders. On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mark 2:17) • He tells Nikodemus. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:17) • It is one of the tragedies of the church that we are so often associated with condemnation rather than saving.

Let us pray for God to move through our church with his healing power. • Let us be good news to our community. • In Luke’s account of Jesus beginning his ministry • He remembers his sermon in the Nazareth synagogue. He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.” 8

Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:16-21)

Jesus’ ministry was characterised by compassion and service. • And by doing the will of the Father • I think that is important. • Much as we may desire to see more of the Holy Sprits power • First and foremost, we must seek God’s Kingdom. • Seek his will. • As Jesus taught us to pray • “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

Jesus makes this point immediately after reading the Isaiah prophesy in Nazareth. • He tells them. I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. 27 And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.” (Luke 4:25-27)

Ultimately it is God’s sovereign will. • It is not for us to say who he heals or when. • It is our duty to retrain our minds to his will. • I want to finish by reminding ourselves of the words of Paul in Romans 12. • A chapter very much following the same theme that we have been discussing

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will. (Romans 12:1-2)

Prayer Lord Jesus, We recognise that there is no one like you. You are our lord and God. Help us to live to the values of your kingdom. Help us to be those that love, forgive and serve others. Let us be characterised by your love and humility and fill us anew with your Holy Spirit so that we can bring healing and salvation to those in need of you. Amen

Worship Song:

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Closing Prayer (Prayer of St Francis of Assissi) Lord, make me an instrument of your peace, Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy; O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Grace: May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all, now and forever more. Amen