Parables of God’s Just Kingdom Copyright © 2017 Standard Publishing, part of the David C Cook family, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918 All rights reserved. Photo: © joebelanger | iStock Parables of God’s Just Kingdom Lesson 2

Horizontal Visual Start a discussion by pointing to this visual as you ask, “Who can explain how a Venn diagram works?”

Copyright © 2017 Standard Publishing, part of the David C Cook family, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918 All rights reserved. Photo: © joebelanger | iStock Lesson Outline Introduction A. A Different Kind of Riddle B. Lesson Background

Copyright © 2017 Standard Publishing, part of the David C Cook family, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918 All rights reserved. Photo: © joebelanger | iStock Are You Sure About That? Some of the assumptions we make in life are not necessarily true. Would you say the following are true or false? Putting salt in water makes it boil more quickly. FALSE: Salt water requires more exposure to the heat in order to boil than water alone, so the boiling point is elevated and the time it takes to get the water to boil increases. 598712534 Photo: © Slphotography / iStock / Thinkstock® Photo: © Slphotography / iStock / Thinkstock® 4

Are You Sure About That? Are the following true or false? Copyright © 2017 Standard Publishing, part of the David C Cook family, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918 All rights reserved. Photo: © joebelanger | iStock Are You Sure About That? Are the following true or false? Frankenstein was the name of the monster in Mary Shelley’s book Frankenstein. FALSE: Frankenstein was the name of the monster’s creator. Both dolphins and porpoises are mammals. TRUE. 598712534 Photo: © Slphotography / iStock / Thinkstock® Photo: © Slphotography / iStock / Thinkstock® 5

Are You Sure About That? Are the following true or false? Copyright © 2017 Standard Publishing, part of the David C Cook family, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918 All rights reserved. Photo: © joebelanger | iStock Are You Sure About That? Are the following true or false? The word sushi means “sour-tasting,” not “raw fish.” TRUE. The forbidden fruit mentioned in Genesis was an apple. FALSE: The Bible doesn’t specify the type of fruit. Photo: © Slphotography / iStock / Thinkstock® 6

Are You Sure About That? Are the following true or false? Copyright © 2017 Standard Publishing, part of the David C Cook family, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918 All rights reserved. Photo: © joebelanger | iStock Are You Sure About That? Are the following true or false? Handling a baby bird will make its mother reject it. FALSE: Most birds have a very poor sense of smell, so in most cases the mother is unable to even notice human scent on a baby bird. Photo: © Slphotography / iStock / Thinkstock® 7

Are You Sure About That? Are the following true or false? Copyright © 2017 Standard Publishing, part of the David C Cook family, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918 All rights reserved. Photo: © joebelanger | iStock Are You Sure About That? Are the following true or false? The Great Wall of China cannot be seen from space. TRUE: The Apollo astronauts confirmed that you can’t see the Great Wall of China from the moon, but just the white and blue marble of Earth. Photo: © Slphotography / iStock / Thinkstock® 8

Are You Sure About That? Are the following true or false? Copyright © 2017 Standard Publishing, part of the David C Cook family, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918 All rights reserved. Photo: © joebelanger | iStock Are You Sure About That? Are the following true or false? Your fingernails continue to grow after you die. FALSE: The dehydration of the body after death can cause retraction of the skin around hair and nails, giving the illusion that they have grown. Photo: © Slphotography / iStock / Thinkstock® 9

Are You Sure About That? Are the following true or false? Copyright © 2017 Standard Publishing, part of the David C Cook family, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918 All rights reserved. Photo: © joebelanger | iStock Are You Sure About That? Are the following true or false? Bulls are enraged by the color red. FALSE: It is a proven fact that bulls only see blues and yellow. They only react to the red cape because of its movements. The tomato is a fruit. TRUE. Photo: © Slphotography / iStock / Thinkstock® 10

Copyright © 2017 Standard Publishing, part of the David C Cook family, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918 All rights reserved. Photo: © joebelanger | iStock Are You Sure About That? We have misperceptions every day. Most times they don’t matter. But mistaken thoughts about God’s kingdom can have grave consequences. Let’s explore today’s Bible lesson to get clarity about how justice is achieved in God’s kingdom. Photo: © Slphotography / iStock / Thinkstock® 11

Copyright © 2017 Standard Publishing, part of the David C Cook family, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918 All rights reserved. Photo: © joebelanger | iStock What Do You Think? How do we avoid errors regarding allegiances to God’s kingdom and to earthly nations? Talking Points for Your Discussion Regarding errors that see such allegiances as completely compatible Regarding errors that see such allegiances as completely incompatible 12

Copyright © 2017 Standard Publishing, part of the David C Cook family, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918 All rights reserved. Photo: © joebelanger | iStock Lesson Outline I. Parable of the Weeds (Matthew 13:24-30) A. Secret Sabotage (vv. 24, 25) B. Damage Discovered (vv. 26-28) C. Temporary Coexistence (vv. 29, 30a) D. Eternal Separation (v. 30b)

Jesus Corrects Wrong Ideas Copyright © 2017 Standard Publishing, part of the David C Cook family, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918 All rights reserved. Photo: © joebelanger | iStock Jesus Corrects Wrong Ideas The Jewish perceptions about what God’s kingdom would be like were varied. Some thought it would be ushered in by a Messiah who would be a military conqueror or a ruling king. Everyone in Jesus’ day hoped the Messiah would come quickly and relieve Israel of Roman oppression. 177867508 Graphic: © BibleArtLibrary / iStock / Thinkstock® Graphic: © BibleArtLibrary / iStock / Thinkstock® 14

Jesus Corrects Wrong Ideas Copyright © 2017 Standard Publishing, part of the David C Cook family, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918 All rights reserved. Photo: © joebelanger | iStock Jesus Corrects Wrong Ideas Jesus used three parables to correct the false impressions of the Jewish people about God’s kingdom. Read the false assumptions, and explain how the parables helped correct them. Graphic: © BibleArtLibrary / iStock / Thinkstock® 15

Jesus Corrects Wrong Ideas Copyright © 2017 Standard Publishing, part of the David C Cook family, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918 All rights reserved. Photo: © joebelanger | iStock Jesus Corrects Wrong Ideas Expectation #1: The Jewish people of Jesus’ day expected that when God’s kingdom burst onto the scene, God’s king would defeat Israel’s enemies immediately and purge the land of evil. Summarize the parable of the weeds (Matthew 13:24-30), and explain why it overturned this expectation. Graphic: © BibleArtLibrary / iStock / Thinkstock® 16

Jesus Corrects Wrong Ideas Copyright © 2017 Standard Publishing, part of the David C Cook family, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918 All rights reserved. Photo: © joebelanger | iStock Jesus Corrects Wrong Ideas Expectation #1: Immediate defeat of Israel’s enemies. Just as the weeds remained until harvest, God’s people can expect to be surrounded by evil and opposition. We are to endure patiently and wait expectantly for the triumphant future harvest. Graphic: © BibleArtLibrary / iStock / Thinkstock® 17

Copyright © 2017 Standard Publishing, part of the David C Cook family, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918 All rights reserved. Photo: © joebelanger | iStock What Do You Think? How does our proximity to worldly weeds of sin affect the safeguards we adopt against them? Talking Points for Your Discussion Individual vs. communal safeguards against unholy lifestyles Individual vs. communal safeguards against ungodly definitions of success Other Photo: © Slphotography / iStock / Thinkstock® 18

Copyright © 2017 Standard Publishing, part of the David C Cook family, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918 All rights reserved. Photo: © joebelanger | iStock What Do You Think? How do you avoid taking “weeding justice” into your own hands? Talking Points for Your Discussion When loved ones are hurt When God’s name is maligned When your rights are violated Other 19

Copyright © 2017 Standard Publishing, part of the David C Cook family, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918 All rights reserved. Photo: © joebelanger | iStock Lesson Outline II. Parable of the Mustard Seed (Matthew 13:31, 32) A. From Tiny Seed (vv. 31, 32a) B. To Large Tree (v. 32b, c)

Jesus Corrects Wrong Ideas Copyright © 2017 Standard Publishing, part of the David C Cook family, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918 All rights reserved. Photo: © joebelanger | iStock Jesus Corrects Wrong Ideas Expectation #2: The Jewish people expected that when God’s king came, he would enter the world dramatically and sweep swiftly into power. Summarize the parable of the mustard seed (Matthew 13:31, 32), and tell why it contradicted this expectation. Graphic: © BibleArtLibrary / iStock / Thinkstock® 21

Jesus Corrects Wrong Ideas Copyright © 2017 Standard Publishing, part of the David C Cook family, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918 All rights reserved. Photo: © joebelanger | iStock Jesus Corrects Wrong Ideas Expectation #2: God’s king would enter the world dramatically and sweep swiftly into power. Just like the mustard seed, God’s kingdom starts small and unnoticed, but grows to a greatness that cannot be missed. Graphic: © BibleArtLibrary / iStock / Thinkstock® 22

Copyright © 2017 Standard Publishing, part of the David C Cook family, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918 All rights reserved. Photo: © joebelanger | iStock What Do You Think? How has experiencing the fact that God’s work often has humble beginnings affected you? How should it? Talking Points for Your Discussion In positive situations of church growth, answered prayer, etc. In negative situations of church growth, answered prayer, etc. In negative situations of church conflict, unanswered prayer, etc. 23

Lesson Outline III. Parable of the Leaven (Matthew 13:33) Copyright © 2017 Standard Publishing, part of the David C Cook family, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918 All rights reserved. Photo: © joebelanger | iStock Lesson Outline III. Parable of the Leaven (Matthew 13:33)

Jesus Corrects Wrong Ideas Copyright © 2017 Standard Publishing, part of the David C Cook family, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918 All rights reserved. Photo: © joebelanger | iStock Jesus Corrects Wrong Ideas Expectation #3: The Jewish people expected that when God’s king came, His kingdom would be located in Israel. Summarize the parable of the leaven (Matthew 13:33), and explain how it contradicted the Jewish expectation. Graphic: © BibleArtLibrary / iStock / Thinkstock® 25

Jesus Corrects Wrong Ideas Copyright © 2017 Standard Publishing, part of the David C Cook family, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918 All rights reserved. Photo: © joebelanger | iStock Jesus Corrects Wrong Ideas Expectation #3: God’s kingdom would be located in Israel. As leaven spreads through the bread and causes it to grow, God’s kingdom will spread throughout the world and have great influence. Graphic: © BibleArtLibrary / iStock / Thinkstock® 26

Copyright © 2017 Standard Publishing, part of the David C Cook family, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918 All rights reserved. Photo: © joebelanger | iStock What Do You Think? What are some ways to resist un-Christian temptations of implementing change? Talking Points for Your Discussion With regard to changing ethics With regard to changing morals With regard to changing definitions (of truth, etc.) Other 27

Copyright © 2017 Standard Publishing, part of the David C Cook family, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918 All rights reserved. Photo: © joebelanger | iStock Lesson Outline Conclusion A. Wait with Patience B. Prayer C. Thought to Remember

An Appropriate Response Copyright © 2017 Standard Publishing, part of the David C Cook family, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918 All rights reserved. Photo: © joebelanger | iStock An Appropriate Response People today also can have wrong ideas about how the kingdom of God works. How might you use one of the three parables from today’s text to correct the misunderstandings of the following people? 29

An Appropriate Response Copyright © 2017 Standard Publishing, part of the David C Cook family, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918 All rights reserved. Photo: © joebelanger | iStock An Appropriate Response THOMAS: “Our church is small and insignificant. How can we possibly have any impact on our community?” Which parable would you use? The parable of the mustard seed What would you say? “Just like the mustard seed, which starts out small, our church has the ability to grow through the power of the Holy Spirit and be used by God.” 30

An Appropriate Response Copyright © 2017 Standard Publishing, part of the David C Cook family, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918 All rights reserved. Photo: © joebelanger | iStock An Appropriate Response CARLA: “I’m just not interested in world missions. It seems so far removed from my everyday life.” Which parable would you use? The parable of the leaven What would you say? “Just like leaven, Jesus’ kingdom started small but soon spread throughout the world. We too should be interested in helping to bring the gospel message to other nations.” 31

An Appropriate Response Copyright © 2017 Standard Publishing, part of the David C Cook family, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918 All rights reserved. Photo: © joebelanger | iStock An Appropriate Response ROSALIE: “I don’t understand why a loving God would allow so much evil to exist in the world. Why doesn’t He just wipe out all the bad people?” Which parable would you use? The parable of the weeds What would you say? “Jesus explained that God will wait until the final harvest to separate the good from the bad. In the meantime we will live alongside the evildoers and trust the final outcome to God.” 32

Thought to Remember Wait patiently and work prayerfully. Copyright © 2017 Standard Publishing, part of the David C Cook family, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918 All rights reserved. Photo: © joebelanger | iStock Thought to Remember Wait patiently and work prayerfully.

Jesus Teaches about justice Copyright © 2017 Standard Publishing, part of the David C Cook family, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918 All rights reserved. Photo: © joebelanger | iStock Next Week’s Lesson Jesus Teaches about justice