In our final installment of our words series we are going
to be talking about building the global church. This is so vital, as a disciple
of Jesus Christ, I am to build the Kingdom of God.
Matthew 21:33-46 NLT [33] "Now listen to another
story. A certain landowner planted a vineyard, built a wall around it, dug a
pit for pressing out the grape juice, and built a lookout tower. Then he leased
the vineyard to tenant farmers and moved to another country. [34] At the time
of the grape harvest, he sent his servants to collect his share of the crop.
[35] But the farmers grabbed his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned
another. [36] So the landowner sent a larger group of his servants to collect
for him, but the results were the same. [37] "Finally, the owner sent his
son, thinking, 'Surely they will respect my son.' [38] "But when the
tenant farmers saw his son coming, they said to one another, 'Here comes the heir
to this estate. Come on, let's kill him and get the estate for ourselves!' [39]
So they grabbed him, dragged him out of the vineyard, and murdered him. [40]
"When the owner of the vineyard returns," Jesus asked, "what do
you think he will do to those farmers?" [41] The religious leaders
replied, "He will put the wicked men to a horrible death and lease the
vineyard to others who will give him his share of the crop after each
harvest." [42] Then Jesus asked them, "Didn't you ever read this in
the Scriptures? 'The stone that the builders rejected has now become the
cornerstone.This is the LORD's doing, and it is wonderful to see.' [43] I tell
you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that
will produce the proper fruit. [44] Anyone who stumbles over that stone will be
broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on." [45] When the
leading priests and Pharisees heard this parable, they realized he was telling
the story against them-they were the wicked farmers."
1.
Build how? The directing power of the
Holy Spirit.
1.
Parable of the wicked farmers. Vs.
33-34
1.
These are just ordinary spiritual
guides of the people, under whose care and culture the fruit of right living
are expected to grow.
2.
We are farmers in the Kingdom of God.
2.
And God the Father went into a far
country "for a long time" leaving the vineyard to our care and
concern.
3.
And when the time of the fruit drew
near, (when the harvest time came) He sent His
servants (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers), to
the farmers.
4.
God raises these "servants" up and continues
to send them to the people of this earth that they might know and experience
Him.
1.
God has raised you up to build His
Kingdom!
5.
Vs. 35-36 These religious, took his
servants, and beat them, killed them, and stoned them.
1.
Every time God sent a messenger they
beat them, killed them, and stoned them over and over.
6.
We will always fight to build the
Kingdom of God.
1.
Do you think for one second that the
Devil is going to allow you to walk right in here on his territory and take
back what he thinks belongs to him?
2.
Do you think for one second that he
is going to allow you run out here and shine your light into all the world and
him not fight you every step of the way?
3.
Do you think for one second that God
the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are going to allow the devil
to keep what is rightfully Theirs?
4.
They will step in and take back what
they have paid the ultimate price for, people.
1.
Bottom line, biblical truth the
darkness can never extinguish the light.
2.
Where people sin more and more, God's
marvelous, miraculous grace becomes more abundant.
7.
Vs. 37 But last of all He sent unto
them His son.
8.
They will reverence My Son--I have one Son, He is deeply loved, He
is deeply respected, I will send them My very best, My very faithful, my very
committed Son, surely, they will receive My Son.
1.
If they will not reverence Jesus
Christ the Son what gives you right to think they will respect and receive you?
1.
The cause of Jesus Christ is not
built on the talents of a few but the sacrifices of many.
2.
Build why? The mission of Jesus
Christ, His cause.
1.
Peter said Jesus don't die, don't go
and sacrifice your life, don't give up everything, surely we can do this
another way.
1.
Jesus says get behind me Satan.
2.
If I don't do this there is nothing
to build upon.
3.
If you keep me from this you are a
thief, a robber, and a liar.
4.
If I refuse this I am refusing My
mission, My cause, My very reason for coming to this earth.
5.
If I don't do this there is no hope
for mankind.
2.
Although we love Christ and Christ
loves us, love was not, nor is the demand, His sacrifice was the demand and our
belief in and trust upon Him is the requirement.
1.
Christ's perfect life is the payment
for your sinful soul.
2.
Christ came to rescue, He came to
meet the needs of people throughout every age, that was His mission.
3.
That is how He has built His eternal
Kingdom.
1.
Meeting the needs of others.
Illustrate Here: Have different
people in congregation come up to spell out needs.
4.
Vs. 42-44 God will take away the
opportunities we have and put them into the hands of fruitful people if we
choose not build His eternal Kingdom.
3.
Vs. 45 They perceived.
1.
They became aware that He is talking
about us, me, He is talking about the way we run the kingdom, the kingdom of
self.
1.
The Kingdom of God is never about
self, it is never about flesh, it is only about Christ.
2.
Many times people get frustrated when
their kingdoms don't work out.
1.
We can be a part of it, we can move
it forward, we can build it, we can accelerate His Kingdom.
3.
Build the Kingdom of God where? Every
where we go and in every thing we do.
1.
We are going to meet the needs of the
people that's what Jesus did, He built the kingdom of God through hard work,
discipline, sacrifice, healing, new life, and forgiveness.
1.
He challenged them, encouraged them,
taught them, and invested in them.
build-to
erect or construct; to edify or encourage; to increase, enlarge.
2.
Building the Kingdom of God looks
like love joy, peace, gentleness, long-suffering, training, empowerment, unity,
mission, cause, and purpose.
1.
Looks like belief, truth, power for
service, power for testimony, living out the Christ life in a life altering,
life inspiring, life changing way.
3.
Heaven is held together by love.
1.
As a matter of fact, perfect love.
2.
Heaven is held together by giving.
3.
Heaven releases mercy, continuously.
1.
Hell releases hate, fear,
condemnation, and strife, continuously.
2.
Hell releases law, releases judgment.
3.
Hell is held together by hate, it's
held together by division, it's held together by anger, resentment, and gossip.
4.
The kingdom of darkness is about
death, destruction, and abandonment.
1.
What does hell look like?
1.
Disunity.
2.
Contention.
3.
Pride.
4.
Distraction.
5.
Unbelief.
6.
Full of sin.
7.
Hell is born of self.
8.
Hell holds on to.
4.
Heaven gives and gives out of
abundance gives out of love, gives out of compassion.
1.
Many times words are what we build
with and our words can dissect, divide, destroy and distract.
2.
Or they can restore, resurrect,
revive, and resolve.
4.
To build means to meet the needs
of the people.
1.
That's God's mission and design for
the church!
1.
Collectively and personally.
2.
Reach the lost, disciple the found.
1.
I think we often forget that we are
ALL sinners.
2.
That we ALL fall short of the
standards of God.
3.
We ALL need a Savior.
1.
If we never talk about sin, and God's
sacrifice in paying for it, how is the world supposed to know Jesus?
1.
This takes humility.
2.
It requires us coming to the end of
ourselves.
3.
When we humble ourselves, when we
lessen ourselves, Christ increases.
4.
Christ begins to shine through the
darkness.
1.
He takes something so dark, so broken, so confused, and so
frustrated and turns it into something miraculous, something powerful,
something incredible that can be used for His honor.
2.
There will always be someone that
thinks you can't succeed. Make sure that some one is never you.
1.
Build His Kingdom by meeting the
needs of people.
3.
There was a young man in the bible I
want us to look at.
1.
This young man Jabez essentially
prays and begins to implement the habits that he needed to create the future he
wanted.
1 Chronicles
4:9-10 NLT "[9] There was a man named
Jabez who was more honorable than any of his brothers. His mother named him
Jabez because his birth had been so painful. [10] He was the one who prayed to
the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and expand my
territory(coast)! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all
trouble and pain!" And God granted him his request."
2.
The birth of the thing that God is
asking you to bear will be painful.
3.
This birth will be grueling, it will
be frustrating, it will be the toughest thing you have done to date but it will
also be the greatest blessing you have ever encountered!
4.
Jabez a praying man knew the way to
be truly great, seek to do God's will, pray with conviction and sincerity.
1.
Lord, bless me and keep me, I am at
your command and disposal for ever.
5.
Prayer of Jabez starts with:
1.
Oh that you would bless me;meaning
"God, don't pass me over."
1.
Blessing is what God has said, says,
and continues to say over you.
1.
If you want to curse yourself go
ahead and stay in that I can't do mindset, stay in the I'll never be mindset,
stay locked in I'll never be blessed of God mindset.
2.
As for me, and my house, as for those
I am imparting into we will serve the purposes of God!
2.
Enlarge my territory.
1.
Enlarge my influence.
2.
Enlarge my responsibility.
3.
Enlarge our care and concern for
others.
4.
God, enlarge our hearts, that we
might allow You more space within to reside.
5.
Delete some things in your heart to
make more room for Him.
3.
That Your hand would be with me.
1.
God's hand with us, God's hand on us,
to lead us, protect us, strengthen us, and His hand is all-sufficient for us.
2.
The open hand of God not a closed
fist.
3.
I can't handle you being to far away
God, please stay close to me.
4.
Keep me from evil.
1.
Keep me from evil Lord, the evil
of sin, the evil of trouble.
2.
Keep me from all the evil designs of
my enemies, that they might not hurt, nor make me, a man of sorrow.
1.
Everything that is challenging you
right now God is using to strengthen you for what is to come.
3.
I do not want to cause any pain.
5.
And God granted him his request.
1.
"Attempt something large enough
that failure is guaranteed…unless
God steps in!"
1.
Greater Success.
2.
Greater Influence.
3.
Greater Power.
4.
Greater Protection.
6.
This prayer reveals that Jabez
understands what many people do not, there is only one God and He should be the
center of our cause, as He wants to bless every life.
Proverbs 16:3
NLT "Commit your actions to the LORD, and your plans will
succeed."
1.
We have all sinned and deserve God's
judgment.
1.
God, the Father, sent His only Son to
satisfy that judgment for those who believe in Him.
2.
Jesus, the creator and eternal Son of
God, who lived a sinless life, loves us so much that He died for our sins,
taking the punishment that we deserve, was buried, and rose from the dead
according to the Bible.
1.
If you believe and trust this in your
heart, receiving Jesus alone as your Savior, declaring, "Jesus is
Lord," with your mouth, and your life, you will be saved from judgment and
spend eternity with God in heaven.
