LOVE IS THE NEW COMMANDMENT (38)/ THE KINGDOM OF GOD (6)

This Sunday service Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached another sermon in the series titled ‘Love is The New Commandment’. Her main scriptures were taken from the books of Romans 14:16-18; Matthew 13:31,32; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-15;

THE AGAPE LOVE OF GOD

Love is the greatest word in the Bible. In Greek, there are three words for love. Eros refers to sexual love. Philio refers to friendly attachment. Agape means unconditional sacrificial love. This Love is not just a feeling. It is the highest, most pure form of love, born not out of natural attraction or obligation, but a willful choice and a command to be obeyed.  It is the unselfish, pure, powerful, and sacrificial love that desires the best in another person. This love is best expressed as the Fatherly Love of God for humanity. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (Jn 3:16). This is the Gospel: God the Father sent God the Son to become a Man and die on behalf of sinners. The unbelievers may be religious, but they do not know this agape love. Love is a gift given only to the children of God, who are saved by grace and thru faith in Christ. “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (Jn15:13). Because we are born sinners, agape love does not come naturally to us. Agape love requires faithfulness, commitment, courage, strength, wisdom, faith, and sacrifice. Agape love is the magnet God uses to attract the world to Jesus! It was so in the early church, and during all the revivals in the history of the Church! Selah!

THE KINGDOM OF GOD

“For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom 14:17).

The Kingdom of God is the realm, rule, and reign of God, where Jesus Christ is King, advancing on earth, by the power of God’s Word and the Holy Spirit, bringing righteousness, peace, joy, healing, freedom, prosperity, and deliverance, by driving away the forces of darkness. Jesus said: “But if I drive out the demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has already come upon you” (Lk 11:20; AMP). As a citizen of heaven, you must experience deliverance, victory upon victory in every area of your life! Amen!  God’s Kingdom is the realm of God Himself, filled with truth, love, holiness, righteousness, power, grace, and Glory!  It points to spiritual things, to eternal life, to the atmosphere of heaven, to the worship there, and to the authority of God. The Kingdom of God has three basic attributes: Righteousness, peace, and joy, in the Holy Spirit! The concept of the Kingdom has almost been lost. Most people do not understand the authority of the King in his domain, and the blessings of the subjects. This is because most countries have other types of government: democracy, communism, or dictatorship. God invented the concept of Kingdom so that it is easier for us understand His plan and purpose for men.

“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of

the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Gen 1:26-28). God created the human beings to populate the earth. He created them male and female. He created them in His own image and likeness. God gave them ‘dominion’ over all the animals. The word ‘dominion’ is a Kingdom Word. Even at creation, before sin entered, God’s plan and purpose for them was to be kings in their domain, to be royal priesthood in Christ. Man was to rule and reign over all the animals, but not over one another. When Adam sinned, he lost a Kingdom. Jesus came to live and die, to re-establish God’s Kingdom on earth. He is now the King of kings! What makes the Kingdom of God different from any other kingdom, is that all its citizens (subjects) are the relatives of the King, and they are all kings themselves! What a privilege to be the royal priesthood in Christ!!! Praise the Lord! 

The word ‘Kingdom’ comes from two words: King and Domain. God has always been God. Then God created the spiritual (invisible) world and the physical world (man). He did it for His own pleasure and because He is a Creator. Once God created His domain, He became King over His domain. Let us start with what the Kingdom of God is not. The Apostle Paul says that it is not ‘eating and drinking’. It is not ‘meat and drink’ (KJ). It is not made from material things, man-made, temporal, or perishable items. It is not a collection of some little things that you buy with money. We often forget the littleness of this material world and the amazing majesty of the eternal God. We forget that all things do not have the same power or value. For example, Jesus said that life is more valuable than food and the body is more than the clothes that cover it. “Therefore, I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” (Matt 6:25). To worry about food and dress, and to ignore your life, is foolish. For unbelievers, food, and clothes are more important than their souls. Here you see that the doctrine of the Kingdom of God is not a matter of indifference. The Kingdom of God is not just a little religious behavior, something small, narrow, and negative. It is a grand concept, fit for the King of kings to rule and to reign. The Holy Spirit must give you the revelation! Selah!

THE PARABLE OF THE MUSTARD SEED      

“Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, 32 which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches” (Matt 13:31,32).

Our Lord employed here a symbol which these people understood. The mustard plant was commonly found in the gardens of the people in Israel. The seeds can be eaten raw or as a paste, which is used as a condiment. The mustard leaves can be eaten raw or cooked. The seeds have health benefits. They are rich in vitamins, able to prevent diseases (including cancer), and lower blood sugar. The mustard plants are invasive. They can take over a garden by displacing other plants. The mustard seed has two main characteristics: 1-has a strong smell and taste; 2-is very small in size.

Spiritually, the mustard seed is a symbol of three things: the Kingdom of God, Faith in God and the Gospel. When the Kingdom of God advances on earth, when the Gospel is preached and Faith is rising, because of the harshness of Truth, there is a spiritual disturbance at the beginning. It is like a painful injection given to a sick man. The Gospel excites and changes people. It stirs a whole community, either negatively or positively. “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force” (Matt 11:12). In Greek, the word ‘violent’ means an aggressive hunter who is ready to seize his victim. It is the picture of a crowd attacking a city, eager to take possession of it, and to carry away their spoils. Faith in the Gospel of Christ crucified and resurrected, the revelation of Jesus as the King in His Kingdom, always comes into the heart with force, like an armed robber. This describes the zeal to believe the Good News of Christ crucified and resurrected. There is a zeal to conquer sin and the devil. Our Lord admires the energy of those who want to enter the Kingdom of God, to be saved from the power of sin and to have eternal life. The strong smell of the mustard seed is a symbol of this violent zeal.

By comparing the Kingdom of God with the small mustard seed, Our Lord is stressing the apparent insignificance of the Gospel. It does not look or sound like much. Like the Apostle Paul, you proclaim: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Ac 16:31). That message does not sound very impressive to many people. It is so simple that you can teach it to children. So, the world is not very impressed with it. But if you truly believe it, your heart will change. If you really trust Christ as your Savior, Lord, and King, that revelation is revolutionary. As the mustard seed is small, the entrance of God’s Word looks small. The preaching of the Gospel is done by only few faithful believers. The beginning of God’s salvation work looks so small. It can be discouraging. But the effect is always mighty. The elect chose to enter the Kingdom of a supernatural force. The unbelievers get angry and forcefully attack God’s Word and His servants. There is a force that cannot be explained. Like a storm in the sky, it is the supernatural realm that is involved.  

Small is big when God is in it! Think of it! Jesus was the original Mustard Seed. He was not trained in the theological schools of the day. He was not among the recognized teachers. He was a former village carpenter. He called 12 men to Himself. They became His disciples. One betrayed Him and died. Like the planting of the mustard seed, this is indeed the small beginning of the Church. But soon, the Church grew supernaturally. None could stop its growth. The famous Rabbi Gamaliel advised his colleagues to stop persecuting the Christians, lest God’s wrath rises against them. “And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; 39 but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God” (Ac 5:38, 39).

The small mustard seed is purposely planted by the Sower in the ground. It grows mysteriously. It becomes a tree that has many great branches, in which birds make their nests. The birds find shelter and food in the tree. Some birds a clean and some are unclean. This is a picture of the visible church, which is made of both the saved and the unsaved religious people. For a seed to grow to become a big tree, that is supernatural. It shows the power of God, of the Gospel, of the Kingdom of God. Every true believer becomes a shelter for many people who listen to his words and believe in his prayers. “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (Jam 5:16).

The mustard seed is also a symbol of true faith in God. Jesus said: “for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you” (Matt 17:20). As believers, we pray to receive ready-made, great, instant miracles. But Jesus says that a miracle can start with a small seed of faith produced by the hearing of God’s Word. Planted in the heart, and watered by prayer, after some time, it produces the miracle you have been looking for. That is why we are commanded not to look down on little things that have spiritual life in them. “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin…” (Zech 4:10; NLT). To despise it means to have no respect for, to look down upon someone; to dislike something because you think it has no value or it is bad for you. The natural man has no respect for God, His Word, or His Kingdom. The Gospel is foolishness to the unbelievers. But we join Apostle Paul to declare: “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith” (Rom 1:16,17). Selah!

Remember that the Church started with only one Seed, planted in the ground. That Seed is called Jesus. Before the Cross, our Lord said: “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain” (Jn 12:24). Jesus called 12 apostles. One betrayed Him and left. Out of this little beginning, the Church grew. In 150 AD there were already about 40,000 believers. In 200 AD the number of the Christians increased to 218,000. Now, in the 21^st century, Christianity is the biggest religion in the whole world which is made of about 8 billion people. Christianity that began 2,000 years ago in a small country called Israel is now followed by 2.4 billion people. This is the power of God in display upon the earth! His Kingdom has come! Amen!

SOME BENEFITS OF RIGHTEOUS LIVING IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD

Generally, righteousness means conforming (agreement) to the standard of morality, to what is right or good. It means to be good and to do good. Righteousness means acting in accord to God’s moral law and being free from guilt, shame, or sin. Righteousness is found in Christ alone. It is God’s gift to men, thru His grace and His Love. Righteousness means being right with God and man; in your behavior, words, character, and conscience. God gives men His laws. This is a fact: God never makes mistakes! He is always right and good! Righteousness is a Person. It is part of the identity of Jesus Christ, and we share in it. “But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1Cor 1:30). Praise the Lord! 

“Righteousness [moral and spiritual integrity and virtuous character] exalts a nation, But sin is a disgrace to any people” (PV14:34). A nation’s real greatness is not found in military strength, beauty of nature, great culture, or magnificent buildings, but in the desire of the people to be right with God, and to obey His commands. Sin is a disgrace, a reproach, an insult, and a national tragedy. Pagan societies are terrible places to live in. Sin is a source of violence, wickedness, sickness, poverty, injustice, corruption, and war. Sin is the shame of sinners. Righteousness is the promotion of the wise. All godly people are humble, hardworking, merciful, helpful, and loving. We pray for revival in Nigeria. Not for empty religion, but for a desire of true righteousness. That is the condition for prosperity and peace in our land.

THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF JESUS – FEEDING THE HUNGRY (LK 9:10-17; Jn 6:1-15)

This miracle is the only miracle that appears in all the four Gospels. It was witnessed by more people than any other miracles. Also, this is the only miracle when all the people partook in it. This is the story: The crowds followed Jesus to listen to His Word and to experience healing miracles. One day, Jesus went to a deserted place. It was after He heard that John the Baptist was killed by Herod. He knew it was a sign for him, to prepare, that the Cross was coming. He needed time to rest His soul and pray to the Father for comfort and strength. This is a spiritual Law: working with people or speaking too much to people drains the spirit. But staying long in God’s presence revives the spirit. Jesus needed balance in His life, between prayer to God and helping the needy. Lesson: we too need the same balance. We should never neglect our quiet times with God, by studying His Word, prayer and worship, to be filled with the Holy Spirit. We need God to give us wisdom and strength to fulfill our responsibilities towards our families and other people. Selah!

The crowds followed Him and stayed until evening. Because the place was isolated and it was late, the disciples advised Jesus to send the crowds away so that they can look for food. They never had in mind that Jesus can do a miracle. Surprisingly, Jesus said to them: “you give them something to eat”. They said that ‘a lad’ (young man) had 5 loaves of barley bread and 2 fish. (It is possible that his mother prepared his food pack). It was barley bread. That is the cheaper type of bread only the poor people ate. Just imagine! Amid that crowd, this lad was the only one who had some food. But the disciples expressed their doubts. How can this little dinner feed thousands?

Here you see the voice of doubt and the limitation of man on display. Are we not all the same? Practical people who never think of miracles! Jesus ignored their doubts and fears and commands His disciples to organize the crowd. There were about 5000 men, besides women and children. They should sit in groups of fifty. They all became expectant to receive food. Lesson: Men look for food first before they can sit to eat it. But Jesus wants the people to sit down first, prepare their mind, exercise faith, and then, the food will be supplied. Lesson: God is a God of order. “For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints… God wants everything to be done peacefully and in order. When God’s people meet in church” (1Cor 14:33; NKJ; CEV). In Greek, the word ‘confusion’ means mental instability. Confusion means to listen to many voices in your mind, at the same time. A confused man does not understand what is happening around him or what he should do. If he acts in confusion, he will surely make mistakes because he cannot see clearly. Confusion is found when people are selfish or jealous. “For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace” (Jam 3:16-18). Confusion is an open door for the devil to enter. He will destroy the peace of mind, the peace of a family or a church. This will lead to division and quarrels. In this spiritually polluted atmosphere, righteousness (being good and doing good) cannot manifest and miracles cannot happen. Jesus brings order and peace into that crowd. They sit on the grass and expect food. Then the miracle of provision happened! Lesson: reject selfishness, envy, confusion! Pray! Calm your mind! Be filled with the Holy Spirit! Have faith! Then the miracle will come!

LESSONS

King Jesus receives the boy’s little lunch: 5 loaves and the 2 fish. He looks up to heaven. He possibly prayed a quick prayer to God the Father. He blesses the bread and the fish. He gives thanks to God and then He breaks them into pieces. He gave the food to the disciples, and they gave it to the multitude. They all ate and were filled. Twelve baskets of leftover pieces were left. Jesus Himself commanded: “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” Lesson: We should not be wasteful! We should appreciate every drop of grace, every little blessing. We should economize our resources, material and spiritual. No miracle should be wasted! The crumbs under the table are still the healing bread for the sick!

This is a miracle of provision. The miracle of multiplication happened in the Hands of Jesus. Lesson: give Jesus your little. Once that little touches His hands, it will multiply. The same little will come back to you as hundredfold. Praise the Lord!

King Jesus is compassionate. He truly loves and cares for the hungry, sick, weak, and the needy. His care for the needy was one of the spiritual magnets that attracted people to Him. It is the same today. “Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb 13:8).  

King Jesus is omnipotent. He is God. He is greater than any human need. God uses what is available, what is given to Him, to multiply and bless others. God can use small things. David killed Goliath with a sling and a stone. Little is much when God is in it.  Jesus used the humble dinner of a boy to feed the multitude. Jesus blessed that boy!

God uses His children to bless others. In this case, Jesus used the disciples to bring order in the crowd, preparing them for a miracle. It was the disciples that brought to Jesus the bread and the fish, the ‘raw material’ to produce the miracle. Jesus used the disciples to distribute the food to the people. Why did Jesus do that? The people were happier to receive the food from men like them. Receiving the provision directly from the hands of Jesus may have created some anxiety to eat the food. Also, Jesus wanted the disciples to learn to do ministry, to be co-laborers with God. To work for Jesus increased their faith much more than if they are only spectators to the miracle.  Lesson: God uses our hands to bless others. Let us work for God!

Because Jesus is God, He thinks like God. But the disciples were thinking like men. Their faith was still small. It was hard for them to see Jesus as the King of His Kingdom. One of the King’s responsibilities is to provide for His subjects. We must have the revelation that Jesus is our King and our provider. The provision was more than the need. There was an overflow of provision. Jesus ordered to gather and keep the leftovers. After everybody ate the food, and were satisfied, they gathered 12 baskets of leftover pieces of bread and fish. King Jesus ordered to keep the leftover food. This is wisdom. God is not wasteful. I read that in the UK, food waste is estimated at 680 million pounds sterling per year. This is some advice given on how to reduce food waste in a restaurant. Audit the food you order, receive and throw away. Based on the type of food left on a plate by the customers, review your menu. Train the staff on how to reduce waste. Advice the customers to take the leftovers home. Give the leftover food to charities. When serving buffet, give the customers smaller size plates. Miracles of provision are wonderful. But by reducing waste, you increase your profit. This is the strategy in the Kingdom of God.

The boy that gave his dinner is not named. We don’t know if he was tall or short, handsome or not. All we need to know is that the boy was available to be used by God. He was sensitive to the needs of others. He prepared for the future. 5000 men came without lunch. But he bought his lunch. He was ready to share. That was not easy. The boy could have sold his lunch to the people. He could have become a rich man in that field. He could have shared his lunch with others and kept some food for himself. But the boy gave it all to Jesus. He was ready to sacrifice his lunch. Why? Because he was ready to partake in a miracle that will increase his faith and change his life forever.  

The boy was sure that Jesus can do a miracle with his lunch. Jesus can do what he could not do. The boy gave to Jesus his barley bread, which means humble bread. He did not just give Jesus 2 big fishes. It was 2 small fish. Lesson: God can use anything we give to Him and He can do something with the little offering. Once the humble food touched the hands of Jesus, it became holy. Jesus gave thanks to God and blessed the bread and fish before He gave it to the multitude. Do you want to be a blessing to your generation? Are you ready to give your whole life to Jesus? If the answer is yes, then Jesus will receive your humble life, bless you, break you, and give you away to bless multitudes. What Jesus did with that boy’s little lunch, He will do it with you!

Because of the miracles of healing and feeding, the crowds concluded that Jesus is the Messiah, the Prophet of God. They wanted to make Him their King by force. But Jesus withdrew from them. No man can make Jesus King. Why? Because only God can make His Son King over all. No man can take the glory of setting Jesus on the throne of the universe. That is the unique privilege of God the Father. Men rejected King Jesus. This is the story of the Cross. But the Father exalted Him above all names in the universe and kings on earth. He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. His name is Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the Son of God, and God Himself! Worship the Lord!