Sermon Response Guide
PRIMARY SCRIPTURE:
Matthew 13:31-33, 44-46 ESV
31 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. 32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”
33 He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.”
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46 who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
Key Points
- Christianity is not about all of us going somewhere else, but about something (and someone) that has arrived.
- God’s Kingdom has come in Christ Jesus and is coming through us – his followers – as we live under the rule and reign of our King Jesus.
- God’s Kingdom comes on earth as it is in heaven when we break down barriers and build bridges to foster reconciliation between fellow image-bearers, one person at a time.
- We exist to pray for and participate in God advancing his Kingdom.
- God’s Kingdom comes through small, hidden, insignificant, unexpected, overlooked things that bring abundant life and flourishing so that God – and only God – gets the glory.
- We find the Kingdom of God through sacrifice – first through Christ our King’s sacrifice, and then through letting go of whatever we think we need apart from Christ.
Memory Verse
Ask God to write this word on your heart this week:
“Pray then like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’”
-Matthew 6:9-13 ESV*
*Note: Through the rest of this sermon series, “Patterns of Prayer,” we will be working together as a faith family to memorize and regularly pray the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13 three times each day (morning, noon, and night). We invite you to pray with us in Ellis Chapel Monday through Friday from 11am to 1pm through April 15, 2022.
Questions for Reflection
Take time to reflect and respond to these questions on your own in the presence of the Holy Spirit, or with trusted friends or family members:
1: Read Matthew 13:31-32. Imagine birds coming to nest in a tree that was once the smallest of all seeds. What does this parable of the mustard seed teach us about the Kingdom of God?
2: Read Matthew 13:33. The dictionary defines leaven as, “an element that produces an altering or transforming influence,” and that which “causes to rise.” What does this parable of the leaven teach us about the Kingdom of God?
3: Read Matthew 13:44. Pause and consider the man’s joy. What does this parable of the hidden treasure teach us about the Kingdom of God?
4: Read Matthew 13:45-46. Think about how the merchant was in search of many pearls. What does this parable of the pearl of great value teach us about the Kingdom of God?
5: Now that we have read and responded to these four parables, how would you answer the following questions?
· What is the Kingdom of God?
· Where is the Kingdom of God?
· How do we find the Kingdom of God?
6: Would you say you are amused by the Kingdom of God or seeking the Kingdom of God? How do you know?
7: What is God inviting you to sacrifice so you might seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness? Will you do it?
8: Who will you ask to pray with you as you sacrifice and seek the Kingdom of God together this week?
Pray
Lord, you are our King who has come for us, and we believe your Kingdom is now coming through us. Help us desire to see your good, perfect, and pleasing will accomplished in our lives – even when it doesn’t look like what we had in mind. Help us believe your ways are not only higher, but better – and only in your way will we experience heaven on earth. Father God, let your Kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
references
For those interested in further study, our pastors want to share resources that have aided them in their sermon preparation (in conjunction with the Bible and the Holy Spirit):
· The Lord and His Prayer by N.T. Wright
· Living the Lord’s Prayer: The Way of the Disciple by Albert Haase
· Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes by Kenneth E. Bailey
· On Earth as It Is in Heaven: How the Lord’s Prayer Teaches Us to Pray More Effectively by Warren W. Wiersbe
· With Christ in the School of Prayer by Andrew Murray
· The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer
· Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? by Philip Yancey
· The Practice of the Presence of God and the Way of Perfection by Brother Lawrence and Teresa of Avila
· Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home by Richard J. Foster
