Latest / Journey Elgin / Sunday Message May 24, 2026- What is the Kingdom of God?
Transcript
- Phillip Thomas: Now ⁓ before I'm we're gonna get into our parables and we're gonna continue ⁓ looking at parables, we're gonna talk about the kingdom of God. ⁓ and there's lots of parables that are that are on that. But before I I do that, I just want to to share just a a little bit. You know, we're we're in we're in Alaska and it it just especially because it's so different from here, right? It just is incredible. And and you're seeing all of the beauty, you're seeing ⁓ you know ⁓ wildlife that you just never see. I mean we saw ⁓ we saw ⁓ from a distance we saw a moose ⁓ we we saw seals we saw whales ⁓ we didn't see a bear ⁓ you know the salmon weren't running yet but ⁓ but that that's one thing I wanted to to see. ⁓ but and then you're you're learning about this process and these humpback whales that they're just enormous, right? And ⁓ and they ⁓ they they leave the those cold waters ⁓ and they go around Hawaii during ⁓ the winter months and that's where they have their babies. But they can't feed down there. There's not enough for them to eat down there. So they go down, they have their babies 'cause it's a little bit warmer water. ⁓ they're then they're they're nursing the their their babies ⁓ to get you know get that good layer of blubber on them and then they come back to the the cold waters And so they are constantly feeding twenty-four hours a day from about this time of year to around September. And then they go back. Right? And ⁓ and so we were there early on and and you'd see them and they come up and and all of a sudden you see a just a geyser out of the out of the the w ocean. And it's and it's them blow through their blowhole, right? And and they'll they'll you can see them and they'll take about three or four of those. And then they go down and then that tail comes up, right? And they're going down. It's just majestic. ⁓ and then you you see just the the beauty ⁓ around you, and and it's like, how do we not see the magnificence of a creator in all of this? You know, and and there's a passage in ⁓ Psalm, Psalm 19, says, The heavens declare the glory of God and the sky above. proclaims his handiwork, day to day pours out speech, night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. Right? That just God's creation speaks to us if we want to listen. You know, and and we were sitting there and and ⁓ we actually got off on a smaller little little boat. ⁓ from our cruise ship and that little boat took us up to a glacier. And if you want to see a lot of these pictures, follow Molly's ⁓ Facebook account. You can see see all of them. But ⁓ well we're up we're probably about two hundred yards from the face of a glacier, right? And it's just the colors are are magnificent. And ⁓ and and what's interesting is we've we've become so rational and scientific minded, right? We we're we try to figure out how all of this stuff Happens, right? Scientifically. Well, how how scientifically can you explain that a humpback whale knows to go to warmer waters at this time and then come back to the same place every year? And they come back to the same place every year. I if you think that that just randomly happened by chance, you have way more faith than I do. Right? And then, you know, we we we've been told that that you know that. God didn't plan on, you know, the the the earth growing and he didn't plan on the use of fossil fuels. And so we're destroying the planet because of climate change and all this stuff. And and man, there's some truth in all of that, right? But we've been telling the the glaciers are gonna be gone. And and ⁓ and we're we're sitting here going through and they call ⁓ fjords, F Y O R D. And ⁓ and they're they're hundreds of feet deep and ⁓ and then they c come up and and on both sides you can something cut out from those mountains. That's what it looks like. Right? And they're sitting here telling us the glaciers form these places that we're at. And it takes them millions of years. And I'm sitting there going, Wait. So the glaciers they had to have been melting or moving millions of years ago to form what we're in. And yet we're told that we understand What we're doing and destroying the glaciers now. It it just it it it it none of it makes sense from a s truly scientific mind. And I just want to encourage you We our ways are not his ways. You cannot fathom the majesty of God. Like we just get glimpses. And there is no way that all of this just happened by chance. There's no way. Because God is truly God. Amen. Right. don't ever forget that. Right? We can I I I love looking at the scientific things. I think it can be fascinating, but it doesn't have the ultimate answers because God is the God of this world and He created something truly, truly amazing that we cannot even touch with all of our advances. It truly is amazing. So so that I I was thinking about that and also thinking about how it does tie in as we're talking about the kingdom of God. So the kingdom of God, there's quite a few parables on the kingdom of God. In Matthew, it calls it says it's the kingdom of heaven. ⁓ essentially the same, same thing. And ⁓ and the the kingdom of God, it it's a ⁓ it's a it's that place that is that is here, but it's not completely fulfilled yet. Does that make sense? Like we can be in the kingdom of God, and yet we're also still here in this fallen world. So the kingdom of God will be completed whenever Christ comes again. But when Christ came the first time, He the kingdom of God is at hand. It is here. We are participating in it. Right? Even even though we're we're living a fallen world, even though there are those who don't believe that, ⁓ you know, we are now in the kingdom of God. And so what is the kingdom of God? What does it look like? What are we supposed to do? Well The the kingdom of God ultimately is about responding to the gospel message of Jesus Christ. And then once we've accepted that, then we have a responsibility to begin sharing that message and continuing to expand, if you will, the kingdom of God. And and and so Jesus talks a lot about that and ⁓ he he does it in parables that teach us a lot of the kind of core understandings of the kingdom of God. So we're going to be in Matthew chapter 13 today. And ⁓ this is the parable of the sower. This gives us a big picture, if you will, of of the kingdom of God and how how the kingdom of God is ⁓ works. So ⁓ Jesus has, if you read in chapter twelve, Jesus has just been kind of going back and forth with the religious leaders. ⁓ they they do not like him. They they're really frustrated at Jesus right now. ⁓ and ⁓ and and then ⁓ he he goes kind of to a to a lake and the crowds continue, and that's whenever he is ⁓ starts these parables. So remember, sometimes it it sounds like he's just talking to the disciples, and those are the main people that he he does talk to a lot of times. But remember, there's there's hundreds of people around, including the religious leaders, whenever he is sharing these parables. So in ⁓ chapter thirteen it says That same day ⁓ Jesus went out of the house, and he sat beside sat beside the sea, and great crowds gathered around him, so that he got into a a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood o on the beach, and he told them many things in parables, saying, A sower went out to sow, and as he sowed some seeds fell along a path, and the birds came and devoured them, other seeds fell on rocky ground where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up. Since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose they were scorched, and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear. We're going to continue on. Says, Then the disciples came and said to him, Why do you speak to them in parables? And he answered them, To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven. But to them it has not been given. I believe he's specifically talking about the religious leaders right here. ⁓ For to to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. Indeed, in their case, the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says, You will indeed hear, but never understand. You will indeed see, but never per perceive, for this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and and turn, and I would heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see, your ears for they hear, for truly I say to you, many prophets and righteous people long to see what you see and did not see it, and to hear what you hear and did not hear it. Then he continues. And he explains the parable. Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the words of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. Yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and then tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word. immediately he falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. As for those who was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case, a hundredfold, in another sixty, in another thirty. All right. So what what is happening here? What is what is Jesus doing? He's He's talking about the kingdom of God. The religious leaders had established their understanding of what the kingdom of God was. It was a very ⁓ very ritualistic, very ⁓ the the leaders that they were the ones in charge. It was about following the rules, right? ⁓ the kingdom of God was about rules. And here's how you live in the kingdom of God. Jesus is expanding that. He's not saying there are not rules. He's not saying there's not correct ways to live in the kingdom of God, ⁓ but he's saying it's much bigger than that. ⁓ it it it it includes an understanding that he Jesus is the Messiah, that you can't live the rules good enough. You can't just say, you know what, I'm gonna rule harder and I'm just gonna get better at it. No, you can't, right? Because we're fallen. And Jes and God knows that, and that's why He He paid that price, so that we can ⁓ our sins can be forgiven, that we can live with Him forever. Right? So, so the the religious leaders were not grasping that and they were not seeing that. And so, so and Jesus ⁓ is is talking about them whenever he's saying they're the ones that it back in Isaiah, the that they had eyes to see but they did not see. They had ears to hear, but they did not hear, right? And and so he's he goes into telling about the sower and and of course, I mean i in a rural rural area like we're in, we kind of understand the basics of of planting. You know, I ⁓ I'm a very, very much fake farmer, ⁓ slash rancher. ⁓ and ⁓ but I I usually can get my tractor turned on. However, yesterday it decided not to, so now now I'm more fake than I am farm. ⁓ And ⁓ but I I remember I'm trying to get grass to grow, right? So you get one of those spreaders ⁓ and put it on the back of the tractor. ⁓ if my PTO works, it turns on and ⁓ and it just starts slinging that seed around, right? Now if you're good, you you make sure that seed all falls on the right places. I am not. So I just drive around. And so some of it falls on the good stuff. A lot of it falls in these Horrible thorny vines. And if you know them, you know them. They they're devil vines. They grow up from the from the pit of hell and they're down there and they come up and they just take over trees and stuff like that. You you know exactly what I'm talking about. Right? And and ⁓ and I've I have gone through and pulled those things out and and you're just like this it's horrible, right? Well, seed flies in with all of that stuff. It flies at it flies everywhere. I hope it comes up. I the hardest thing that I have to relate to in this is that the seed actually grows to a hundredfold. I haven't seen that. Like I still have no grass. But that's a whole separate story. J I I need Jesus to come and actually sow seed in my my ground. But but so so he's using this perfect example. And ⁓ and of course the back then, as far as I know, they didn't have tractors, right? ⁓ John Deere wasn't around just yet. And so the way that they sowed seed is they would have a bag and it would kind of be a around like that and they would take it and they would just start throwing it out, sowing seed. It's it's really it's a very simple, there's nothing, you know, ⁓ hard to understand about this basic principle. And that seed would go on different types of soil, right? Especially because they couldn't they didn't cultivate exactly the way that we do today. Right? So you just throw it everywhere. And ⁓ and Part of being in the kingdom of God is we are to be sowing that seed. But we need to understand the reality. The reality is not all the seed is going to take. But that doesn't mean that the kingdom of God is not present and active. So so often we can focus on the seed that doesn't take, we start wondering, okay, God, what's going on? Is this all real? Yes, it is. He's telling us. That the kingdom of God, not everyone is going to come. Right? In fact, three of the four examples don't turn out well. Right? I don't think he's telling us that to depress us. I think he's telling us that because he knows reality. And that you know what you do? You keep sowing the seed. Would they have sowed seed one year? You know, in in year you in year two AD, right? ⁓ would they have sowed seed and then in year three AD not sown? Of course not. You do it every year. Right? And so you you hope that people who are in one category that they get the seed the next time. Right? That's what our role is in the kingdom of God. And as I as I look at that I to to really apply that to today, what does that look like to today? So you have the first seeds, they fall on the hard ground. There there's not a chance, right? They're just going to get completely plucked up. ⁓ this kind of goes back to what I was talking about a a little bit ago. Kind of we live in a time where we have there are many who have tried to replace God and an understanding of spiritual things with a hyper rationalism, a hyper scientific mind, right? y an an atheistic movement. ⁓ y you know, atheism is is a for the most part is a relatively new ⁓ understanding. Used to everyone believed there was some sort of God. They may not believe in the God of the Bible, but they that they they believed that. Well now we have a large segment that does not, right, and and won't even listen. Right? That that that seed gets plucked up just in the ⁓ the moment it hits the ground, right? There are going to be those people. And it's hard. And we need to be creative and trying to to share. But the harsh reality is there will be those who never open, they never put their guard down enough even to give the seed a chance. ⁓ and that's frustrating. And that's where we need godly biblical wisdom ⁓ to know when to you know, shake the dust off your feet and move on. Because maybe it's someone else's time to try to plant a seed. Right? ⁓ this is this is very true, especially in our families. If you have someone in your family that is has their heart hardened towards the things of God, I I guarantee you have a passion to want to reach them. Right. Sometimes you're the worst person to be able to reach them. Right? B there there just because of there's that whole relationship history. It doesn't mean that you don't keep trying, but sometimes you need to back off. Right? You know, that they've been told they're a sinner enough by you. Right? You you need to allow a seed from s that's sown from someone else. Does that make sense? So we need to understand there are people in that place. And so how do we need to go ab best about reaching them? Will we give it a shot? And then maybe we back off and we let let someone else come and sew. The next one, you know, where it it g gets into ⁓ the the the rocky soil ⁓ and it it it springs up really quickly. You know, I I think these next two are examples of actually where the current church over the last probably thirty, forty years has actually kind of kind of encouraged this behavior, not intentionally. ⁓ but ⁓ so so the the second example that Jesus gives, the ⁓ the seed comes up quickly ⁓ because they hear the message and they're like, I love that, right? For example, if you heard a message that said, you know what, if you give your life to Christ, then all of your financial problems are going to be taken care of. Y your life is going to be good, right? Man, it it is a you will have health and wealth Beyond your imagination. You just just give your life to Christ. All right, I'm in. Right? But that has no foundation, right? Even if there's some truth in that, it is so superficial. There's that immediate response, but it's based on emotion. It's an emotional response. I think this I I mean, I have been at the really well done altar calls, right? ⁓ especially at at camp after you've been exhausted for like five days and that last one is a i all of it is true, right? And ⁓ and and yet you you have this emotional response and you know, yes, I do want to give my life to Christ, but it's still very shallow. If it's not nurtured, it will die out quickly. Because guess where you're not going to be the next weekend in the camp setting. that all of these feels are there. You're gonna be dealing with a a boss that you can't stand. You're you're gonna be looking at your bank account going, I'm still negative, right? So so life hits you and you realize, wow, everything's not just perfect. And so those seeds wither away. The next one is the thorns. So you they get thrown and the thorns come up. If you don't get rid of the thorns, They're eventually going to choke out the seed. So there are those who hear the message. They actually they want to believe the message and they may believe the message, right? And they accept it, but they don't start making actual life changes. This is, I think I I use the term cultural Christians a lot, right? That we believe in the general idea of who God is, of what He has done. We even know the story. Of Jesus Christ, of him dying and rising again. And we may even say that we believe it, but do we actually apply that to how we live our lives? Right? So, so if it and that's where it gets really hard because once you enter into that relationship with Christ, then there are going to be things in your life that you need to pull up and throw away. And so that means there may need to be some relationships that change in your life. Well, you know what? That's really hard. You know, there's going to be some behaviors in your life that you may have been been doing for for years and years, but yet you're going to need to to take up those behaviors. Well, if you don't pull the weeds, eventually they will choke out the good seed. And and it's it's very important for us to to understand that, to understand. No, entering into this relationship with Christ is not a cakewalk. It it makes your life immeasurably immeasurably better, but yet much more difficult. Does that make sense? It's kind of an oxymoron, but it's but it's very true. Because you should actually care about the challenges that are out there. You should care about behaviors that you know are not godly. You should care about relationships that are broken, right? And trying to to to help with those. And it can be overwhelming. But it and so in that sense, it makes life more difficult. But yet, if we step back and remember, no, the parable of the sower. God is this, we should expect this. It's going to be challenging, but we keep sowing the seeds. You know, the last the last example is the one that that it it falls on good ground. Guess what the good ground has? It has places for roots to grow. It has a foundation so that it is not a surface level faith. It is something that that starts becoming who you are. It changes you from the inside out. Right? It it's it's not an emotional response. It's not, ⁓ this is what my parents have always believed. ⁓ this is, you know, this is the the thing that I did in in college the to meet people. No, it's more than that. Right? It becomes who you are, right? And and you have those deep roots. And then you actually start looking differently. I know Wes ⁓ preached on the fruit of the spirit ⁓ a couple weeks ago, I think on the first one. Well, those fruits of the spirit, they start To manifest in your life. Not perfectly, right? But now it's like, okay, I actually have good roots, and that's how I'm going to continue to sow that seed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We need to be real careful that we don't fall into the trap because I I and I've I've talked about this a lot. I talk about that seeker sensitive model of doing church. the attractional model of doing church. And it works, right? It it will work to get people in in the door. And you can actually have churches that grow enormous. The danger is, is you can find yourself in one of those two middle examples that Jesus was giving. Right? That it ⁓ becomes all about emotion, right? And and man, I love Going to that church, it just makes me feel so good. Okay, great. The gospel message isn't just about making you feel good. Newsflash, the gospel message is not a self-help book. It's not just about your best life now. It's not. That is part of it, but that is not the core. And I'm sorry, you can't do the the self-help aspect and expect it to be life changing if you aren't rooted in the life-changing power that comes from the knowledge of Jesus that Jesus Christ died and rose again for you. Right? I love what AA does, Alcoholics Anonymous. I I I I think that what they do is is really, really good. The reason that it's really good is because it flowed from a biblical narrative. But in order to reach the masses, right? Now, who who what's the first step or basically is it ⁓ accepting a what higher power. Now, there are lots of people who have been helped through AA with just a random higher power. It it can it can start to influence, but if you want to truly be freed from things, your higher power better be the only true higher power, which is Jesus Christ. If if we do the seeker-sensitive model and and we just are about here, let me just make you feel good. Let me give you some tips on how better to manage your money. Let me get you some tips on how you can handle your anxiety. Let me give you some tips on this. All of those can be found in the Word of God. They're usually tougher answers than what your psychologist will tell you. But they, if it is not based in a understanding that Jesus Christ is the author of all truth. That without him beginning to change you from the inside out, you can put as many band-aids on your life as you want, but that's all they are. It is only through his scars that our scars can be healed. And we have to understand that. And just like the second exam or the third example with all the thorns, there are many churches and it and because sometimes we've overdone it. All we do is tell people how bad they are. And man Every every Sunday is here's more weeds that you need to pull, right? And I I can see ⁓ growing out of you, right? And and I can point at different people. Here's your weed, you better take care of it. Right? And and it may be weed that you need to take care of. You catch that one. ⁓ 10. Tim, weed is another term for marijuana. Okay. You shouldn't do that. Okay. All right. All right. But sometimes, sometimes we have we have gone way overboard and that's all we talk about. Here's the things that you don't do. We start to sound a lot like the religious leaders that Jesus is talking about, right? That ⁓ and and that it's just about following all the rules. No, that's that's not it at all. But many times we've swung the other direction and we don't talk about sin at all. No. You need to uproot the sin in your life. You need to get rid of it. Right? It's not only for you, but so that you can be an effective sower in the kingdom of God. And and we strive to do that here at Journey. We're never going to be perfect because guess what? No church is perfect. No per person is perfect. But it is important for us to understand, man, being in the kingdom of God is not Easy, but it is so rewarding. And yes, we get glimpses of that reward even here and now. And then ultimately when Christ comes again, his kingdom will be fully established and it will be glorious. But thankfully, we get glimpses of that even now. So I encourage you, be a sower in the kingdom of God. Or if the seed hasn't been planted in your life in that good soil, think about, man, it's am I am I still on the path? Am I really just kind of dismissing all of this? Most of us have been there at some point. It's real easy at this point in in life with with all of the information that's coming at us to just say, man, I I just can't I'm I can't open myself up to believing in all that hocus pocus stuff. Right? Are you there? Maybe, maybe you find yourself, you know, being filled with joy and excitement one moment and then the next just completely gone. And it's just this constant roller coaster that ⁓ that you're struggling with your faith. Maybe it's because you've been sown in the rocks. Maybe you need to seek out that deeper dirt to get some true roots. Or maybe you're just struggling. Because there's those thorns and weeds that you haven't pulled up yet. And man, it's hard. But God who calls us to pull up the weeds will give us the strength to be able to do it. So maybe, maybe look at your life. Say, you know what? I'm tired of being in this soil. I want something deeper. I want something more meaningful. I want something that is truly life-changing because that is what Christ wants for you. All right, let's go to Him and pray. Yeah. Hmm.