The Kingdom Sermon Many Christians are satisfied with their destination but they ignore the journey. A. W. Tozer 1/27/2019

Luke 2:46-47 After three days they found Him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers.

Luke 20:39-40 Then some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, you have spoken well.” For they no longer dared to ask Him any question.

Luke 19:9-10 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he (Zacchaeus) also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Build Well – Luke 6:46-48 Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.

Build Poorly – Luke 6:49 But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.

Matthew 13:34 All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, He said nothing to them without a parable.

Matthew 13:35 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.” (Psalm 78:2)

Mark 3:5 And He looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.

John 8:43-44(a) Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear My word. You are of your father the devil…

Ephesians 4:18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.

Matthew 23:15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.

Luke 11:52 Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering

Luke 15:1-2 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear Him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

1 Corinthians 1:26-27 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;

Matthew 11:2-6 Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to Him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

Matthew 4:23-25 And He went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. So His fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought Him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and He healed them. And great crowds followed Him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

For Our Consideration Jesus actually expects us to obey and implement His teachings, why? What does hardness of heart mean to you? Why do you think Jesus was so hard on the Scribes, Lawyers and Pharisees? What do you need to do to be worthy of the Kingdom?

Prayer Focus Thank You Father for loving us so much You sent Your Son to die so we could become righteous and part of Your family. Thank You for Your Word to lead, guide, and inspire us to Kingdom living. Thank You for a new day to grow and walk on with You in grace.