Sermon: Silencing the Messenger

Intro 

How difficult is it to tell others about our faith? In North Korea and Iran and Afghanistan it could get you killed. In China it could get you imprisoned. In American and Australia it could get you laughed at or defriended on Facebook. People have always tried to silence the Gospel.

Goal 

I want us to understand that the greatest news of all time is bad news for some people and that they will try to silence us. 

Sermon Plan 

We will first look at the politics of hate, suspect interpretations, Herod, how truth can be offensive and silencing the messenger. 

Politics of Hate 

Murder and hate go hand in hand (1 John 3:15). Murder of a political enemy is a common theme of history. French royalty used the guillotine. British royalty had enemies pulled apart by four horses, drawn and quartered. Our politicians use their tongues to destroy each other. The cause of John the Baptist’s death was the politics of hate (Mark 6:14-29). Herod had him beheaded and presented his head on a platter. Are we any different? Politics manipulates the truth and we believe it. We don’t know all the facts, yet politics has incited us to hatred because the more we hate the more we will vote for the other party. When we allow hatred of one another, hatred of a political party, hatred of even our enemies to enter our hearts, we are no different than Herod. 

Suspect Interpretations 

Human agendas make biblical interpretations suspect. For example, women’s liberation theology claims that Mark 6:14-29 has nothing to do with sexual exploitation of women. Calling historical assumptions into question is fair, but drawing the opposite conclusion here is also without evidence. Was the girl’s dance seductive or not? It is true that the Greek word forgirl is also used for the little 12 year old raised by Jesus (Mark 6:22). However, it is also used in the Greek Old Testament for the maiden (Esther 2) when she was brought before King Ahasuerus. Interestingly, the King also promised Esther half of his kingdom (Esther 5:3). The evidence for either conclusion is scant. We read the Bible with the lenses of our own experience. Be careful of interpretations by those with agendas and that is all of us. 

Which Herod 

Which Herod murdered John the Baptizer? Here is a brief look at the Herodian dynasty. Herod the Great was a madman who murdered his enemies and even members of his own family. He was client king to Rome over Judea. His son Herod Antipas was tetrarch of Galilee. A tetrarchy is a “government by four persons ruling jointly” (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tetrarchy). It was Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great who killed John the Baptist. When Herod Antipas divorced his first wife Phasaelis to marry his niece Herodias, John the Baptizer condemned it as evil (Mark 6:14-29) and was murdered for his comments. The divorce incited war with Phasaelis’ father the King of Nabatea, which Herod lost and that provoked the bloodthirsty Roman Emperor Caligula to charge him with treason and send him and Herodias into exile in Gaul, where Antipas died. 

Offensive Truth 

Telling the truth is not always popular. It can even get you killed as John found out (Mark 6:14-29). Does that mean that we become so “tactful” that we avoid the offense of the cross (Galatians 5:11)? Jesus said that peacemakers will be blessed (Matthew 5:9) and yet he caused great offense to others at times (Matthew 13:53-58; Luke 5:29-30; John 6:60-70). We are not to cause offense (1 Corinthians 10:32), but the truth will. If it is our tactlessness or faults which cause offense that is one thing, but if it is the truth of the Gospel, we cannot avoid it. Persecution and tribulation cause offense (Matthew 13:21; 24:10), Jesus offends religious leaders (Matthew 15:12; ) and he is a rock of offense (Romans 9:33) because of the truth. 

Silencing the Message 

God’s message of repentance and hope is not always popular with power brokers, both political and religious. John found that out (Mark 6:14-29) and Jesus was crucified for similar reasons. The church has two messages. One is the good news of the kingdom (Matthew 4:23) and Jesus Christ (Mark 1:1) and salvation (Ephesians 1:13) and peace (Ephesians 6:15). It is good news to the poor (Isaiah 61:1; Matthew 11:5; Luke 4:18;7:22) but bad news for those who profit from this world’s dog-eat-dog Babylonian system (Revelation 18). Just as then, the church today has a message for the power hungry on both sides of politics, for the greedy merchants of Babylon and those who use religion for personal gain: repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matthew 3:2). 

Outro 

The greatest news of all time is bad news for some people and they will try to silence it. It is news which offends those who are deluded by this world’s Babylonian ways. Yet for anyone who understands how irredeemably corrupt this world’s ways are, it is wonderful news of salvation for all humanity, the world’s only real hope. Don't let that message be silenced.

Sermon: Honor the Local Prophet

Intro 

How difficult is it when a friend or neighbor is elevated above us? Yet, if we want God’s blessings showered upon us, we must overcome the jealousy. 

Goal 

I want us to understand that God can use anyone, even our closest friends to lead us. 

Sermon Plan 

We will first look at the tendency to cut others down, honoring local prophets, women pastors, honoring God in his leaders, missing God’s blessing by rejecting God’s prophets and dealing with rejection. 

Cutting Others Down to Size 

Why do we do it? When others are elevated we seek to cut them down to size. Such is also the fate of the prophet in his hometown (Mark 6:1-13). It takes a big man and generous woman to honor a friend who is promoted. Most of us react by belittling them and finding reason why the promotion was not deserved. All the Hollywood schmoozing aside, that’s not life’s reality. The truth is that most people are jealous. We covet their successes and secretly undermine them in conversation. We find honor to be such a rare commodity that we offer it to strangers more readily than neighbors and friends. Perhaps that is why Peter had to encourage churches to honor all (1 Peter 2:17). Honor is in reality not a limited commodity. It can be spread to all. 

Honoring a Local Prophet 

Why do locals not support a prophet who is one of their own (Mark 6:1-13)? There may be two connected reasons. When Jesus went to his hometown to teach and perform mighty works many were offended at him and Jesus also marveled at their lack of faith. We are no different. Why is it that when a local person is used by God, we lack faith? Perhaps we are offended that God would promote one of us. Perhaps we are offended that God chose someone other than us. Can we overcome this tendency? Jesus did lay hand on a few locals and heal them. Can we be one of the few who believe? We can if we realize ahead of time that God can and does use “one of us” and be prepared to show that person our full support. 

Honoring Women Pastors 

Ought we honor a woman pastor? Paul enumerated qualifications in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 not as law excluding women, nor to call women leaders sinners. Even conservative theology teaches that we are under grace not law. But, we hypocritically turn historically and culturally bound case-studies into law. Yet, the only law of Christ is love. Even under the Old Testament law, a woman could be a judge and a prophetess. The quote that this was so because “there was no man in Israel” is from the Talmud not the Bible. The New Testament brings freedom not harsher, even more-enslaving law (Galatians 4:5, 25, 5:1-3). If a woman believes that she is called by God to spiritual leadership, let us not be like the people of Jesus’ hometown (Mark 6:1-13). Let us honor and support her. 

Honoring God in His Leaders 

When Jesus was dishonored in his hometown (Mark 6:1-13), people pointed to their intimate knowledge of his family. Jesus never sinned, but the rest of his family surely did. Some of this was known in the community. Over the years I have heard many stories of local people who became church leaders. We locals love to say that we remember when... What do we remember? We remember when so and so did something stupid, immature or otherwise embarrassing. It is our way of dishonoring the prophet in our midst. Perhaps we do so because we don’t believe that God could use somebody just like us for pastoral ministry. We place pastors on an impossible pedestal but that is not reality. We honor God’s pastors not because they are perfect. They are not. We honor them because we honor God. 

What a Shame to Miss Out 

Because Jesus was dishonored in his hometown (Mark 6:1-13) he did not do many powerful things, not many mighty works there. That is the meaning in the original language. Those dynamic deeds would have included healing lives and conquering the evil one. What a shame to miss out because the one through whom we could have experienced a substantial miracle was a close, personal friend or neighbor. We allow the humanity of church leaders to be a stumbling block. So many pastors hide behind titles and collars and robes to try and overcome our weaknesses, but such barriers only last so long. Eventually, we see through the external trappings to the weak humanity of our spiritual leaders. When we do, do we also still see God and allow him to use them mightily? What a shame to miss out! 

Reactions to Rejection 

What do we do when we face rejection (Mark 6:1-13)? We could pout, get depressed, pray or gossip about how hard done by we were. Jesus gave none of that as advice to the disciples. He told them to shake the dust off their feet. Any door-to-door or cold-calling is a difficult job. Those who are experienced at it know that it is just a numbers game. A “no” is a good thing to those with a positive mental attitude. They know they don’t need to waste anymore time, but just get on to the next place. If a salesperson is involved with a product that they are genuinely proud of and not just chasing a commission-check, then they are not ashamed of rejection. Those who preach the Gospel know that there is no better message to spread. 

Outro 

How difficult is it when a friend or neighbor is elevated above us? Yet, if we want God’s blessings showered upon us, we must overcome the jealousy. We will be tempted to cut them down, dishonor them, but if we do we will be missing God’s blessing. Let’s love all God’s leaders and so be blessed by God.

Sermon: Fixing America, Part 11 — The Healing Touch of Jesus

Intro 

Many people today are worried that the American dream may be sick or dying. We have sought solutions from political doctors on the left and right but they have not helped us and our debt just keeps rising. Does the Church have an answer? 

Goal 

I want us to understand that there is an answer in the healing touch of Jesus. 

Sermon Plan 

We will first look at the text and notice a few interesting highlights. Then in a week when we celebrate nationhood, let’s examine how the text might apply to us individually and nationally. 

Reading & Commenting on the Text — Mark 5:21-42 

Seeing the Light 

Do we see the light of Christ, or do we only see a Jesus made powerless by human skepticism? The story in Mark 5:21-42 reveals Jair or Jairus as the father of a dying girl. Jair means “Yahweh enlightens” or “he gives light.” Some theologians dismiss his name as a pseudonym given by the author for editorial reasons, ignoring another possibility. Could Jairus’ name have been God-inspired at birth just for this purpose? Either way, a devout man’s daughter was brought back to life not by pure religion or human intellect, but by Jesus. Jair may have been devout and practiced the selfless life that both Jewish and Christian religions demand. However, even pure religion can be practiced by those who have not yet seen the light. Jair recognized the light and for his daughter sought the healing touch of Jesus. 

Jesus was Glad she Came 

When we our lives are broken, we are often reluctant to go to church. Some people don’t attend because they have either experienced judgmentalism or are so ashamed that they avoid people altogether. Some of us don’t like people, perhaps because people say hurtful things and life has wounded us so deeply that we avoid the possibility of more pain. Perhaps the reason is that we are so ashamed of our lives and afraid that others will judge us. Perhaps that is why the woman with the hemorrhage approached Jesus secretly (Mark 5:21-42). Her covert approach did not bring condemnation from Jesus. Rather, he commended her for her faith in coming. Let us not be concerned whether or not we are wearing the right clothes, don’t feel like smiling, or that God might judge us. Our Lord is glad that we came for the healing touch of Jesus. 

Sometimes Faith Breaks the Rules 

Many think that law is the answer. Sometimes rules don’t work and make matters worse. In Mark 5:21-42 we find a woman who broke a rule, by faith. She was sick and hemorrhaging for a dozen years. The Old Testament law demanded that she was to live in quarantine until examined and officially approved for reentry into community life. Yet, in faith she thought outside the box. Her thoughts were not on rules, but on desperate faith. She reached out and touched Jesus’ cloak. The Old Testament taught to touch nothing unclean. Yet in faith, this woman disregarded her quarantine and touched Jesus. When asked, the woman confessed to Jesus the whole truth. What was Jesus’ reaction, one of legalistic, letter-of-the-law judgmentalism or one of compassion? Because love is the highest of all laws, sometimes faith breaks the rules to seek the healing touch of Jesus. 

Application to Us and America Today 

Two Sick Sides of National Leadership 

As with all democracies since ancient Athens, America has two sick parties. The one is diseased and hemorrhaging government. Human administrations have mostly failed. Despite rare moments when healthy, godly rule existed, for most of history human governments have been unhealthy. The other sick party has been the wealthy, sick with greed and excess. As an ancient model of democracy, Athens struggled with equality. They found that democracy tends to degenerate into oligarchy, rule by the wealthy. Government of the people tends to degenerate into unjust government by the wealthy for the wealthy and we are no exception. Our national leaders in government and business are unhealthy, two parties sick with a covetous lust for power and mammon oppressing a third party, everyone else. Just like the two parties in Mark 5:21-42 our national leaders can find the answer in the healing touch of Jesus. 

America Sick & Dying 

America is like the dying girl and the sick woman in Mark 5:21-42. We have been bleeding for a dozen years or more. We have been under the care of doctors on the left and on the right. We have spent all that we have and instead of getting better we have only gotten worse. Some people have told us that America is dead. Why bother with Jesus! Like the young, twelve year old girl, America is in some ways young. Europe and China are old civilizations. We are a young child, but our dream of freedom is as ancient as the Exodus. Though the message has been weak and mixed with false gospels, we have heard about Jesus. Will we secretly grab a hold of his cloak or openly invite Jesus into our homes to heal our land? Will we seek the healing touch of Jesus? 

Two Sick Sides of Church Leadership 

Ever since the east-west schism the Church has had two sick parties. The one is the oldest and proud of its orthodoxy. The other claims the seat of Peter and is proud of its size. Both are filled with wonderful Christians, yet also contain grave human errors. A Catholic priest once described it as the church being sometimes the Great Whore of Babylon and sometimes the Bride of Christ. Power politics, bossy control-freak traditionalism and sin are mixed with the grace and love of Jesus Christ. Our church leaders are often unhealthy, with a covetous lust for power and mammon oppressing the church more than nurturing. Just like the two parties in Mark 5:21-42 our churches can find the answer in the healing touch of Jesus. 

Living the Dream 

In Mark 5:21-42 we read of a healing of two ladies by a two-step process, the act of healing itself could be seen as the first step. Both females had been ostracized by quarantine laws. Reinstatement to normal life was an important second step after healing. Today, many people believe that the American dream is no longer normal life, but sick or maybe even dead. Any suggestion that our dreams are not dead, but merely asleep may invite the same kind of ridicule that Jesus received in the story. The American dream is the same as the Chinese, European, Canadian and Mexican dream, to live an abundant life. We look in all the wrong places to revive that dream. The great secret of the universe is: that dream of life is available in the healing touch of Jesus. 

Outro 

Money and legislation are the answers that many people think America needs. But money is a root of all evil, not a solution to evil. If Old Testament law did not save Israel, then more national laws will not heal our nation. As the two ladies in the story teach us, the answer lies in the healing touch of Jesus. National repentance and national faith begin with you and me. Let us look to him to touch us and revive our personal and national dreams. Let us reach out for the healing touch of Jesus. 

Sermon: Fixing America, Part 10 — The Storm Caused by Covetousness

Intro 

Life is filled with storms some of our own making. Covetousness causes its own storms in our lives and the lives of others. Jesus taught us to live by faith instead of fear. He slept through a storm but we react in fear. The world needs us to tell the story of Jesus who calms storms. 

Goal 

Let’s understand that Jesus calms the storms. 

Sermon Plan 

We will look at storms, the storm caused by covetousness, living by faith instead of fear, How Jesus slept through a storm while we would react in fear, and how the world needs us to tell the story of Jesus who calms storms. 

The Storm of Covetousness 

Jethro advised Moses that national leaders ought to hate covetousness (Exodus 18:21). Samuel warned Israel about government excess spending and high taxes (1 Samuel 8:10-18). Modern governments have far exceeded the ten percent tax which he predicted kings would levy. Covetous people rob others of their inheritance (Micah 2:1-5). To someone defrauded of an inheritance by a greedy brother Jesus said not to covet what others have stolen from us, because they are the losers (Luke 12:13-21). The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31) decries the greedy accumulation of private wealth by those who do not share with the poor. Covetous swindlers will not be in the kingdom of heaven (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). Covetousness is a major cause of war and conflict (James 4:1-4) and false religion (2 Peter 2). It is a storm that only Jesus can control. 

Covetousness, the Fear of Missing Out 

Why do we covet what does not belong to us? Do we believe God is unfair and therefore we will miss out on the best things? Do we believe that what God will provide abundantly is far inferior to anything that our neighbor has? Is it because we fear and panic instead of rest in faith? Lust and covetousness attack us from many different directions. We fear that we may never have as nice a house as our neighbor, or that our neighbor found a better marriage partner, or that our neighbor has a business with great employees. We may feel like God cheated us out of a nice car or truck like our neighbor’s. Like a furious squall at sea the fear of missing out can drown us. Only Jesus can calm the storms of covetousness (Mark 4:35-41). 

Faith-Filled or Fear-Filled Living 

Jesus spent a large part of his ministry around and even at times on the Sea of Galilee. The lake is below sea level and contains freshwater. It is 13 old fashioned miles (21 modern kilometers) north-south and 7½ miles (12 kilometers) east-west. So when the disciples wanted to cross the lake, it was a long way. The lake is known as Yam Kinneret locally and has a mild climate. It is also known for sudden and violent lake storms. Large storms can create waves even ten feet (3 meters) high and have caused damage to lakefront towns. It was a similar storm that tested the faith of the disciples in Mark 4:35-41. Jesus used the opportunity to challenge his disciples about their lack of faith. Though our faith may be small, we can ask Jesus to calm the storm. 

Taking Jesus Just as He Is 

It is amazing how we like to create a Jesus in our minds to be just like we want him to be instead of just as he is. When the disciples took Jesus across the lake, they took him along just as he was (Mark 4:35-41). What would our churches look like if we took Jesus along just as he is? The way he lived wouldn’t fit in with many of our churches today. He partied with the rich and touched the unclean and marginalized. The way he spoke was sometimes offensive and blunt and sometimes mysterious and hidden in the veiled language of parables. He often went against local religious customs and expected his followers to live lives of self-sacrifice instead of materialistic self-indulgence. How would our lives look if we took Jesus along just as he is? Though the winds of traditionalism are strong, he can calm the storm. 

Doesn’t God Care 

What do we do when we encounter fierce squalls on the sea of life? We live in a time when median net worth has dropped 38.8% between 2007 and 2010.# We worry about health care, car payments, cancer, identity theft, immigration, industrial pollution, internet viruses, lifestyle changes, military conflicts, strange new religions, terrorism and taxes. Life can be wonderful one minute and we are faced with a terrible even the next (Mark 4:35-41). We are tempted to ask, doesn’t God care? The answer lies not in the disciples’ faith, which was obviously as weak as ours, but in the fact that Jesus was with them. If we open our eyes and look, we will see that God is with us too and always has been. Even as our faith is weak, God’s presence reveals how much he cares and Jesus is there to calm the storm. 

If the Unthinkable Happens 

When Mark wrote about Jesus calming the storm, many of his audience were facing martyrdom (Mark 4:35-41). It was a Christian holocaust that lasted roughly 300 years, as Roman Emperors attacked the church over ten periods of persecution. How could the story of Jesus calming the storm relate to those who would drown in their own storms? How does it relate to us who face our own catastrophes today, such as losing a loved one, losing a career, facing homelessness, or to Christians in North Korea who face losing their lives to a modern day murderous Caesar? In such circumstances, when faith is tested way beyond its elastic limit, we can have calm in our hearts, knowing that Jesus will never leave us and even if we must die, he will carry us beyond the storm into eternal peace. 

Jesus who Sleeps through Storms 

Why did Jesus sleep through a storm that had so frightened his disciples (Mark 4:35-41)? Their ordeal even took them to the brink of sinking and losing their lives. In the context we can guess that Jesus was totally exhausted from a day of preaching and healing. However, there is more to it than that. Are we tempted to ask if God has gone to sleep when we face terrifying ordeals? Are we tempted to ask if God even cares? Of course we are. Yet, we read of Jesus’ power over even the waves. We also read of his rebuke regarding the disciples’ lack of faith. We are no different and Jesus is also no different in character. He will often allow our circumstances to go to the point of sinking, but he is there and always has been to calm the storm. 

Reactions to Fear 

Science has taught us that there are two normal reactions to fear, fight or flight. As an international traveler who has lived and traveled around the world, I notice that since 9-11 America has become a more fearful nation. That fear has resulted in both flight from aggressive risk-taking investment in our future and fights both at home and in faraway places. Economists even call recessions a period of fear after a period of greed. Covetousness causes national economic distress and thus fear. So when the disciples panicked as they crossed the Sea of Galilee in a raging storm (Mark 4:35-41) their fear was something quite normal. When our emotions drive us to fight or flight let us fight on the only side worth fighting for, Jesus’ and let us flee to the only sure place of safety from the storm, Jesus. 

Man-Made Storms 

While the storm on Lake Galilee was a natural calamity (Mark 4:35-41) we often face man-made storms. Real estate collapse, family destruction, hostile takeovers, recessions and fraud are all storms caused by covetousness among other things. No amount of legislation can change hearts from greed to generosity, from corruption to nobility, from covetousness to chastity. We have all coveted our neighbor’s house, spouse, car or other possessions. It is part of the human condition. And so we must recognize that we are also in part responsible for the storms that such lusts create. We have all contributed to national debt, family destruction and even worldwide recessions. The power over such storms does not lie within us. We are helpless victims of human vices. The answer is spiritual. The answer is a power beyond our own. The answer to the storms of our own making is Jesus. 

What the World Needs is You 

When national storms come along, politicians argue with little result. We do not need another political solution from either side. What the world needs is you, the Christian to stand up and tell everyone that you have found the answer. The disciples faced a storm and complained to the right source (Mark 4:35-41). They did not have the faith. They did not have the ability. But, they did go to the right source, Jesus. The church is not here to take political sides. Human solutions are not the answer. Neither side of politics has the ability to rebuke our national cloudbursts, nor the authority to tell our economic squalls to be still. There are people who know where the answer lies. What the world needs is for Christians to tell the good news, that only Jesus can calm the storm. To tell that story, what the world needs is: you. 

Outro 

Life is filled with storms some of our own making. Covetousness causes its own storms in our lives and the lives of others. Jesus taught us to live by faith instead of fear. He slept through a storm while we would react in fear. The world needs us to tell the story of Jesus who calms storms.

Sermon: Fixing America, Part 8 — Worst Theft of All Time

Intro 

The worst theft of all time would be to rob ourselves and others of the kingdom of God by allowing the kingdom of this world to take over our lives. Love of country must not degenerate into worship of country, because there is only one kingdom worth worshiping. 

Goal 

Let’s understand how the growth of God’s kingdom is unstoppable. 

Sermon Plan 

We will look at the worst theft of all time, why optimism over the church’s future is right, why the church will continue to grow as a hidden kingdom, initial religious experiences and why control freaks cannot control the uncontrollable. 

Worst Theft of All Time 

What could possibly be the worst theft of all time? Could it be the theft of native lands by colonizing powers? Could it be the semi-legal theft of personal finances by shady banking practices? Could it be taking excessive portions by the very wealthy? Could it be the immoral use of tax revenue? Would not the greatest theft of all history be anything that prevents or hinders the growth of the only permanent institution on earth, the kingdom of God (Mark 4:26-34)? When we steal material things from others, we are also engaged in a far worse theft. When we allow evil to reign in our lives instead of God we have stolen life’s greatest possible blessing from ourselves, the kingdom of God. There is nothing in life worth more and worth protecting more than our citizenship in heaven. This world’s institutions come and go but God’s kingdom will keep growing. 

Optimistic Church Future 

Many Christians in the western world are pessimistic about the future of the church. While numbers have declined in Europe and America this past century, numbers in Africa and Asia are increasing. Did Jesus prophesy anything about this? Mark 4:26-34 is one passage that speaks of the spread of the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is where God reigns and God reigns in the church. There is no guarantee that our denomination or our local church will survive or that the church will always look like ours, but the future of the Christian church is good. Even while we sleep, the church grows. The church will grow to be the largest entity on earth. In fact it already is. Jesus seems to be ruling in the lives of up to a third of humanity. Now that’s a large kingdom. 

Church Growth 

The first Christian church in Africa was planted by the Apostle Mark in Alexandria, Egypt. Their descendants belong to the Coptic Orthodox Church. How large has the church grown in Africa? This past century it has grown from 9 million in 1900 to 380 million in 2000. Among the earliest churches in Asia were those established by the Apostle Thomas in central Asia and India. The Apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew spread Christianity to Armenia and the Apostles Simon and Andrew planted churches in Georgia. Between the 9th and 14th centuries the Church of the East spread as far as China and India, but declined after persecution, disease and isolation. Christian growth has returned to Asia. Within the next 30 years, Asia may have a larger Christian population than Europe. Jesus Predicted that his kingdom would grow large (Mark 4:26-34). It is not always obvious, because it is invisible. 

The Hidden Kingdom 

Mark 4:26-34 introduces to us the concept of the reign of God being a hidden kingdom. It is not recognized by the world around us and is often hard to detect. What is the kingdom of God? In modern terms we would say the reign of God. Where is that? It is among those who submit to divine authority. Although some people have such wonderful discernment that they can possibly tell who is God’s just by looking at someone’s face, most of us would have to have more information than that. It is like a crop that grows in the field. Initial evidence can be like a small green shoot poking through the soil and may be like noticing little changes in a person’s life. As God’s realm grows, it becomes increasingly evident that he rules a person’s life even though it may not be obvious at first. 

The Religious Experience 

A popular but false concept is that we must have a dramatic religious experience as initial evidence of the Holy Spirit’s intervention in our lives. While that kind of experience is certainly possible and does happen sometimes, if we understand Mark 4:26-34, then Jesus taught that it was not necessary or even normal. Like a crop in a field, the evidence of the kingdom of God in our lives may be totally unseen at first. This story also contradicts another popular idea, that we must exert extraordinary human effort to make God’s reign in our spiritual lives grow or to make our churches grow. The story explains that God’s kingdom grows whether we are awake or asleep, totally without our understanding as to how. Like the crop in the field, it is God’s action that makes his kingdom grow and human attempts to dictate that growth are often flawed. 

Control Freaks Controlling the Uncontrollable 

The Nicene Council not only introduced a good creed which summarizes some of Christianity’s most important doctrines, it also made a certain dictatorial tendency in the church worse. Nicea reinforced a power-hungry element that contradicts Saint Paul’s instructions of freedom regarding worship and conscience. If you don’t want people to use their minds just call a doctrine or council of the church infallible. Yet, when Jesus symbolized the kingdom of heaven like a mustard seed (Mark 4:26-34) he was describing a rather unruly plant that allowed hungry birds to sit in the family vegetable garden. Ever since, church leaders have tried to lord it over the faith of believers, something Jesus did not want (Matthew 20:25-28). The kingdom of God will grow where God wants despite human politics. Yet control freaks will continue to try controlling the uncontrollable. God’s kingdom will continue to grow. Our job is to make sure we don’t rob ourselves of a place in it. 

Outro 

The worst theft of all time would be to rob ourselves of the kingdom of God by allowing this world to take over. Love of country must not degenerate into worship of country, because there is only one kingdom worth worshipping. Jesus foretold that the church’s future is unstoppable and will continue to grow. It is a hidden kingdom, spiritual, and no one can stop the uncontrollable growth of God’s kingdom in us and in the world around us. Let’s make sure that we are a part of it.