Continuing our series in “It’s Like This” about the kingdom of Heaven, Pastor Phil looked at passages in Mark 4 and Matthew 13. Jesus reminds us that His light penetrates deep and brings all of life into the open. The more we accept that truth and seek His light, the more truth will be revealed to us and through us in our life.
In Matthew, Jesus guides us through the knowledge that this world is constantly being infiltrated by Satan. He works continuously to undermine Jesus’ authority and to cause rifts in the community of believers. It is incumbent upon us to recognize these actions and resist them. Our motivation can be found in the parables of the treasure and pearl. If we know that Jesus is all we need in this world, then resisting all other temptations becomes much easier.
Pastor Phil left us with this summary: The Kingdom is a mystery that God reveals to us in different ways and at different times. Not everyone is a part of God’s kingdom, based on the decisions they make and the truth they choose to believer. Good and evil are both present in this world at the same time, and it is in God’s power to sort out the difference. And the value of His kingdom is unsurpassed.
Matthew 13: 44-46 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, AND THEN IN HIS JOY WENT AND SOLD ALL HE HAD and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away AND SOLD EVERYTHING HE HAD and bought it.”
