Pastor Wayne Cordeiro
June 22, 2003 - W0325

And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?" Jesus answered them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.  "But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hearî (Mark 4:11; Matt. 13:10, 11, 16).

You are going to see what you are looking for. If youíre looking for a certain car you will see it everywhere. If youíre looking for a certain person, you will begin to see resemblance of that person all over. This is also true on the negative side. If youíre looking for the wrong thing, thatís what you are going to see.

You can even be right in the middle of something and miss it. The other week I came home and Anna said to me, ìDo you see it?î  ìSee what,î I said. ìDo you see it?î This went on for a few more seconds.   Then she said, ìItís the wallpaper.  Do you like it?î  ìOh, yeah, the wallpaper! Iíve been waiting all day to tell you how good it looksÖwhatís for dinner?î Wrong thing to say, let me tell you!

Now there is something that Jesus does not want any of us to miss that He mentions it over one hundred times in the Bible. And what is interesting is that Jesus does not mention this to people who did not know God. Instead he mentions it to those who did ñ God fearing people. He says to them, ìDonít miss the kingdom of Godî. Jesus grabbed their attention further by saying such things as:  ìUnless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heavenî (Matt. 5:20). 

Even in Acts 1, after His resurrection, Jesus talked about the Kingdom of God to his band of followers (vv. 6-7).  Then Paul, while in prison gathered the people together and spoke to them concerning the things of the kingdom of God (Acts 28:23). 

Jesus makes a distinction between kingdom people and those who are outside of the kingdom such as the Pharisees were.   Jesus went on to say that just because you have the right words ñ ìJust because you call me, ëLord, Lordí does not mean you will enter the kingdomî (Matt. 7:21). 

What is the kingdom of heaven? It is the point of entry in which we can come under the rule and reign of God. Where we trade and choose the things of this world for the things of God. Your choice for God means that you let go of the things in the world. You canít take second base while your foot is still on first base. You have to make a choice. You can be part of a family and not be a member of the family.

And just like your own family, your church family can be like that too. A lot of people hang around church looking like they belong, but they really donít. Thatís why Jesus does not want anyone to miss the kingdom. He wants us to belong to His family. In fact, He gives us three identifying marks of Kingdom people.

THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS REVEALED TO THOSE WHO HAVE: 

1.  DISCOVERED ITS VALUE.

"The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that fieldî (Matt. 13:44).

Notice the word picture that Jesus gives to illustrate the value of Godís kingdom. You see, what matters is a relationship with God that is genuine and authentic, not just serving here and there. Itís like a man who goes to buy a field and discover that there is an oil well on it. Now that he sees the value of the field, he will do all he can to buy that field. Why, because of the great value that it contains. So when he starts to sell all his things to pay for the field, do you think he is doing so with a wrong attitude?  No, he will be selling his things with joy because he knows the value of the lot that he is seeking to purchase.

If you feel forced to give up things of this world for the promise of the Kingdom, you will never understand the value of the kingdom of God. Remember this: When you trade the things of this world for the kingdom of God, you are not trading DOWN but you are trading UP!

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought itî (Matt. 13:45-46). 

Jesus is saying that we must be willing to give Him our possessions, home, family and whatever we have including our own lives in order to buy this ìone pearl of great value.î  Remember, when you do this, it isnít that you will have nothing left. On the contrary for you will have more than you could ever dream or hope for. Youíll have Jesus the King, and you will be a part of His kingdom.  

And once you become a part of Godís kingdom, youíre not forced to serve, to give, or go to church. Instead you are willing to do all these things and more because you understand the value of the kingdom. So when you are willing to give up everything to the Lord, you then haveÖ

2.  GRADUATED TO A PROVEN FAITH.

You see the issue here is what has your faith produced? What my faith produces in virtue, character, love, righteousness, long-suffering, forgiveness, will be those kinds of things that give evidence to a saving faith. 

ìIn this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christî (1 Pet. 1:6-7).

What is more precious than gold? THE PROOF OF YOUR FAITH!  It is what shows in your life that determines whether or not you have faith.  Has your faith made you different or are you still the same? If the only difference in your life is that you now come to church, that will not cut it. Your faith must give evidence of transforming characteristics also known as the ìfruit of the Spiritî (Gal. 5:22-23) in order to be proven genuine.

Has your faith changed from the way you were living before? Are you still falling over the same things you did in the past? Now the only difference may be  is that you feel a little guiltier about it. You see, either you will choose to die for the things of this world and live for the value of the kingdom. Or you will die to the kingdom and choose to live for the temporal things of the moment. Either way you choose. What will it be? Your faith will be tested and tried over and over again.  And each time it is, you are graduating into the kingdom of God. This is why Paul could say, ìI die dailyî (1 Cor. 15:31). 

So understanding the value of the Kingdom of God is a telltale mark of kingdom people. Secondly, the Bible says that proof of your faith is more precious than gold. Proven faith is evidenced in the way we live our life. And finally, the third identifier of one who is born into the kingdom is this:  He is one who hasÖ

3.  BEEN GENUINLY BORN-AGAIN

Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."  (John 3:3).

You see, to be born-again does not mean that God comes into your life and helps you to repair something that needed fixing.  It means that you have come to the point where you have chosen to die to the old life and live to the new. It starts with something as simple as raising your hand to indicate a fresh start and a willingness to take a bold step of faith. However, it doesnít stop there. Afterwards, you must go and prove by your faith that your decision to die to self was genuine. 

Paul says, ìI have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for meî (Gal. 2:20). You have died with Christ and it is His life that now lives in you. How are you by your faith and life showing to others that you have the life of Christ living in you? 

Well, it starts first with realizing just how much the Kingdom of God is worth. Itís when you are willing to give up everything for that ìone pearl of great valueî. You then graduate to a proven faith. Thatís when your faith produces the kind of character only evidenced by a genuine faith in God. And the final identifier of kingdom people is one who is born again! Of course such a feat is impossible for anyone to do, especially with man. But with God, all things are possible. How so? Well, you take care of the dying, and God will take care of the miracle. You see, it is a partnership; you die to self and God will do His part to give you the miracle of a new birth. 

For Life Groups:  How to Prove Your Faith?

From Pastor Wayneís message, you have seen that mere belief in God is not enough to gain entrance into the kingdom of God. ìFaith without works is deadî (James 2:17).   Rather this is how James went on to put it: ìShow me your faith without the words, and I will show you my faith by my worksî (v. 18).  Kingdom people are those who can visibly show their faith by their works.    Therefore, letís do the following:

1.      Show to one another your bookmarks.  Have all the boxes to date been checked? 

2.      Describe a recent event in your life that God used to ìprovedî the genuineness of your faith?

3.      Who is it that you need to forgive but have been putting it off?   Genuine faith will not let you put if off any longer. 

4.      Who have you blessed or helped recently that couldnít possibly pay you back? 

5.      What earthly possessions has God been prompting you to give over to Him so that He can enable you to graduate into the kingdom?

6.      Since we are told that the ìfruit of the Spirit is LOVEî (Gal. 5:22), when was the last time you expressed to a love one your love in words and in righteous deeds?

If you didnít do well on these questions, donít despair. In your small group, confess to God the lack of genuine proof that your faith has, and ask Him to restore within your heart true kingdom value. If you are led to invite Jesus into your life, DO SO!  Donít put it off. Dispel all doubts now while youíre given the opportunity. 

Now with members of your Life Group, make a pack to hold one another accountable. Give one another permission to ask the hard questions that demand tough responses. Tell your accountability partner what God is telling you to do.   Then together hold one another up in prayer and accountability. Call one another up during the week; email one another, but do not let the other go without a spiritual check up from you. This is a practical and proven way to help each other to demonstrate the genuineness of oneís faith. 

Our thanks for this week's summary goes to Rich Wilbur -- a man of character as evidenced by his faith.  Mahalo Rich!

And if you would like to be a part of this ministry, please feel free to contact Dawn O'Brien at dawn@enewhope.org for more information.