The Kingdom in Jesus' Own Words

Good afternoon, everyone! Welcome to Sabbath Services. Great to be with you here in the afternoon and on a beautiful day outside. Thank you, Dallin. A very nice job with the special music and played with feeling and emotion and dynamics. Really appreciate that. You're really doing well with that piece. So thank you very much. And fall is in the air. It seemed like just two weeks ago it was 100 degrees in high humidity. You see how the shadows suddenly are starting to get longer? And the season has changed. So exciting to be in the fall Holy Day season, actually. And getting ready for the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and of course, the Feast of Tabernacles and all. So exciting time of year for all of us. There's a chapter in the Gospel of Matthew entirely dedicated to explaining what the Kingdom of God is like. In Jesus' own words, He describes the Kingdom of Heaven, which is simply another term for the Kingdom of God. We all imagine, especially at feast time, right? We all imagine and wonder how the Kingdom of God will compare to our current world. How does Jesus describe His Kingdom? Today we're going to look at Jesus explaining it in His own words. And in the 13th chapter of Matthew, there are seven parables explaining various aspects of the Kingdom. As it was explained to me in my younger days, the Church of God is like the Kingdom of God in embryo form. We are those who have become the first fruits of God's spiritual harvest. We are, in effect, preparing the way for God's Kingdom, and we are the beginning of the Kingdom of God on earth. Let's examine how Jesus, the King, explained the Kingdom in parable form and look at the Kingdom in His own words, right from Him.

The Kingdom is yet to come to the earth, but for each of us, the parables of the Kingdom given by Jesus Christ are relevant right now, and even contain instructions and warnings that we should heed.

Do you see yourself in these parables? Well, let's see as we go through it today. We're going to study Matthew 13. Some of the material can be found in Mark 4, but we're going to look at it in Matthew 13, these seven parables about the Kingdom. I've titled the sermon The Kingdom in Jesus' Own Words, and Jesus used these parables to describe the Kingdom of Heaven, which, with different aspects of its nature, growth, and its value. So let's see what we can learn, and particularly, how do each of these apply to you and me? Think as we go through them. Are they describing you? Are they describing me? And the first one in Matthew 13, verse 1, is the parable of the sower.

The parable of the sower. So Matthew 13, verse 1, on the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea, and great multitudes were gathered together to him so that he got into a boat and sat, and the whole multitude stood on the shore. So you can see the picture. Jesus is out on the sea of Galilee in a boat so that he can address the whole crowd that's gathered together on the beach, and the water there would have been like a natural amphitheatre as he spoke to a huge crowd. Verse 3, then he spoke many things to them in parables, saying, First of all, behold, a sower went out to sow. And he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside, and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places where they did not have much earth, and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. Verse 6, but when the sun was up they were scorched, because they had no root, they withered away. Some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground, and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

So which one of these verses describes you and me?

Verse 9 tells us we need to listen and hear what this parable means. Thankfully, Jesus explained this parable to his disciples and his followers in verses 18 through 23. He said, here's now what it means. In the intervening verses, verses 10 through 17, he explains why he taught in parables. The reason he said is because it has been given to us to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to the world it has not yet been given.

And then he goes on to tell us in verse 18, therefore hear the parable of the sower. Verse 19, here we go, when anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who receives seed by the wayside. So he's saying the demonic influences in this world uproot the seed and destroy it. Verse 20, but he received the seed on stony places. This is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. So sometimes when people hear the gospel, they're receptive, but for a short time. And we find that in our work today in preaching the gospel, there are many people that like what we say, agree with what they hear, but they go their way. Verse 21, yet this person has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. And like I said, we see that a lot today. Verse 22, now he who receives seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, but the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and it becomes unfruitful. So sometimes people have a desire and want to respond to the gospel message and even begin to do so, start to grow. But then various factors in their life finally cause them not to follow through.

Perhaps because they're too focused on this material world, too focused on the here and now, the cares of this world, politics, sports, entertainment, whatever it may be. Verse 23, but he receives seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces some 100 fold, some 60, some 30.

So as we go through this now, we understand that verse 23 should be me and you. We understand the word. We've been called. We've been given God's Holy Spirit to work with our own human spirit to help us understand. We understand the word and so we must bear fruit many times over.

So let me summarize what we've read so far. The sower represents Jesus or God, but by extension, anyone who's sharing the Gospel. The church today is sowing a lot of seed regarding the Kingdom. And the seed is the message of the Kingdom, the Gospel, the good news of God's reign and salvation. But the soils, the different types of soil, are different human responses to the Gospel. Different ways people respond ranging from rejection to full acceptance.

And so we have to always ask ourselves what kind of soil are we?

Which person are you here in the story?

Are you bearing fruit? Because the harvest is the spiritual fruit produced by those who genuinely receive and live out the message, repenting and reflecting on the Kingdom and having its transforming power in their lives. So the results here depend on how effectively we respond.

Some people respond more effectively than others, but some even a hundredfold. Maybe some have come further in terms of where they began than others, what they were like before conversion. But the parable illustrates how the Kingdom's growth depends on how people receive its message. How do you receive it each day when you wake up?

Not everyone responds positively. We're told some reject it outright, as we know. Others accept it superficially. Looks like they've accepted it, but they haven't really. They seem to be looking like they've accepted it.

And some others are distracted by worldly concerns. Only those who receive it with understanding and commitment bear fruit. Jesus emphasizes here the importance of a receptive heart and warns of obstacles like Satan, persecution, worldly cares that can hinder our faith. And the varying yields in the harvest in the good soil suggest the fruitful responses differ in degree, but all are valuable, whether 10 times or 50 times or 100 times. And so for you and me here today, this parable, the first one, encourages self-examination.

What kind of soil are you?

It also reassures that despite varied responses, the Kingdom will produce a harvest. God's Kingdom will grow, especially through those who truly receive it. So now let's go on to number two, the parable of the wheat and tares.

It's in verse 24, is where we begin. It's actually the longest one we'll cover here this afternoon here in this section of Matthew 13 about the Kingdom in Jesus' own words. Here he is telling his disciples, this is what it's like.

So verse 24, another parable he put forth to them, saying, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. Now, Matthew, the book of Matthew, is written to the Jewish community.

He's addressing the Jews, and when Jews speak of the Kingdom of God, they're very reverential. They don't want to actually say the name God, right? And sometimes you'll see in their writings G-D or something. They don't want to actually say it. And so they often speak of it as the Kingdom of Heaven. But it's the same thing as the Kingdom of God. And Matthew's writing to the Jews, so throughout Matthew, the book of Matthew, he refers to it as the Kingdom of Heaven. But look at verse 25. But while men slept, his enemy came, and sowed tears among the wheat, and went his way. The whole word, teres, here is very interesting. The word for teres is a Greek word about a type of plant that is similar to wheat, but poisonous.

It's similar to wheat when just a little small sprout, but when it's fully grown, you can see the difference between it and the wheat. But it has to mature first before you can tell. The Greek word for teres is zanion.

Zazanion.

Biblehub.com says here's what it means. The first definition is, zazanion is a poisonous ryegrass weed called darnell. D-A-R-N-E-L. They say it's a false grain. Secondly, they say, darnell is a weed that greatly resembles wheat until ripe. Close examination will often fail to discern the difference until its black grain appears. And then it's rather obvious, because wheat is not black. Biblehub says it is most toxic just before harvest. Its poison causes lethargy, deep sleep, and even death. Very poisonous grain. Thirdly, they say figuratively, it means wicked people sown by Satan amidst the saints of God, that until harvest have a resemblance of godliness. In other words, you shall know them by their fruit, but figuratively, a pseudo-believer, a false Christian. So that's what Biblehub.com says. So that's the Greek word zazanion. The Hebrew word for terse is often associated with the word zona, also beginning with a z, zona, which means prostitute and carries connotations of something unclean or harmful. And in the context of the Bible, it refers to the weed known as darnell in the Hebrew as well, which resembles wheat until it matures.

The Hebrew, or Aramaic term zona, sounds a bit like the word zazanion. So Hebrew-speaking people, when they hear the word, when they even read the word in the Greek New Testament, it suggests to them the word harlotry. So it's spiritual harlotry, pictured here represented by the terse. False Christians is how Biblehub.com puts it. So we have tares enter the congregation, enter the crop, spiritual harlotry. And it's fascinating how so much meaning can be gleaned from just one Greek word, or one Hebrew word, tares, right? But as we know, mainstream Christianity has deviated greatly from the church that Jesus Christ established and founded. Much harlotry. And the book of Revelation talks quite a bit about the harlot. And besides that, we have the world in general. It's not Christian. Other religions in all kinds of forms that would be the opposite of the wheat. Notice verse 26 then now. So when the grain had produced it had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So at first it wasn't obvious. Verse 27. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares? Well, as we know, someone went and did it, right? Verse 28. He said to them, An enemy has done this. The servant said to him, Do you want us then to go and gather them up? Shall we go destroy all these bad tares? But he said, No. Lest while you gather up the tares, you also uproot the wheat with them. Verse 30. Let them both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn. So we wait until the crop has matured, and then the tares show themselves as a different kind of grain, a black grain. And Jesus then explains the parable in verse 36. So we jump ahead to verse 36. Jesus sent the multitude away. So now it's just a private group, and he went into the house, and his disciples came to him saying, Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field. So remember, the parables are for God's people to understand, not the masses. So Jesus now explains this parable privately. Verse 37. He answered and said to them, He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. Capital S, right? This is Jesus, this is God, Jesus Christ, the Son of Man. Verse 38. The field is the whole world. The good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil. And we know that Satan is the God of this world, right? The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Verse 40. Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out his angels. They will gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness and will cast them into the furnace of fire, they will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. So what the Son of Man, what Jesus is explaining here is those who will not follow God, the tares, who are shown to be incorrigible, those who will not conform, they're going to be executed and burned up. We read in other places they'll become ashes under the feet of the saints. And what we're reading about here is the second death from which there is no resurrection. They're extinct. It's over for the tares. God is not going to have any sin in his future world. The New Jerusalem will have no sin at all.

So to summarize this parable here, the sower is Jesus, the Son of Man. The field is the world, the good seed, the wheat, are the children of God's kingdom, the believers, you and me.

The tares are the children of the evil one, those who follow Satan, and the enemy is the devil. The harvest represents the end of the age. The harvest represents judgment day. And interestingly, the reapers are the angels who gather God's people together before judgment day. Verse 43, Then the righteous will shine forth as the Son in the kingdom of their Father, he who has an ear to hear, let him hear. And of course, this is you and me in verse 43, right? Sons of the kingdom, the righteous shining forth for eternity.

Let's go to Revelation chapter 20 for a moment, verses 14 and 15, where we see how things are going to finally come to their climax in this furnace of fire that Jesus is talking about. The incorrigibly wicked don't want to change, and they remain rebellious, sinful, wicked. So ultimately, they're going to be dead forever. They'll be put out of their own misery, shall we say. Revelation 20 verse 15, speaking of the very end of the age, then death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, and anyone not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. So this parable Jesus is talking about is showing the second death is final. They're going to be literally ashes. In fact, the world itself will burn up, and we'll see a new heaven and a new earth, right? This is looking at the end of human history, in a sense.

This is the end of sin, and anyone not written in the book of life is cast into this lake of fire. So this is all a way of understanding what the parable is about in Matthew chapter 13, the parable of the wheat and tares. So to recap, here's a couple of key themes, a couple of key takeaways from this parable. First of all, it's telling us about the coexistence of good and evil. The parable teaches that believers and non-believers will coexist in the world until the final judgment. And God allows this to avoid harming the righteous prematurely. Another takeaway, it's talking about patience and then divine judgment. The farmer's decision, the son of man's decision to wait until harvest, reflects God's patience with humanity, giving people time to repent, time to change. But judgment will come at the appointed time. And so we have to think, are we living a repentant life each day to avoid that judgment? Another takeaway is final separation. There is a final separation. God will separate the righteous, who inherit eternal life, from the wicked who face punishment. And also talking about a spiritual warfare in this world. The enemy's actions highlight Satan's opposition to God's work, sowing confusion and evil in the world. So it's kind of a long explanation of this week and tears, but it's a very important parable here in Matthew 13. So now let's move quickly into the next few parables, which are much shorter. Number three, the parable of the mustard seed. The parable of the mustard seed. And these each now paint a very interesting picture, a very interesting word picture of the kingdom. Matthew 13 verse 31. And another parable he put forth to them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field. Verse 32, which indeed is the least of all the seeds, but when it is grown, it is greater than the herds and becomes a tree. So that the birds of the air come and nest in its breast. Here we see in this parable how the church begins small, but ultimately God's plan is for most people in the world to become part of his family, to become part of his church and in his kingdom, even though it starts very small. Eventually it's going to encompass the entire world. So we could summarize this parable. The mustard seed does represent the kingdom of heaven, God's reign and work in the world, which begins small and seemingly insignificant. The growth, though, into a tree illustrates the kingdom's remarkable expansion, growing far beyond its humble beginnings in Jerusalem, turning into something substantial and influential. Turning into something substantial and influential, of course, eventually culminating in Jesus Christ's return and setting up God's kingdom here on the earth to replace all the kings, all the kingdoms.

And the birds nesting symbolize the kingdom's ability to provide shelter and blessing to many, provide shade, and provide a resting place, including Gentiles and outsiders, as the kingdom will encompass the world and include people from all nations. It'll be a big tree, not just a little seed. So here are a couple of key themes from the parable of the mustard seed. Small beginnings, but great impact. Small beginnings, but great impact. The parable here emphasizes how God's kingdom starts small through Jesus' ministry initially, a handful of disciples, and after his death just 120 people. But even a single act of faith can grow exponentially by God's power. It's showing organic growth, too, like a tree. The kingdom grows naturally over time like a seed, through the gospel being spread in the transformative work of God in our lives. But it also shows eventual universal reach of the kingdom. The inclusion of birds nesting suggests the kingdom's inclusion of everyone, offering salvation and shelter to all who eventually come to it, whom God calls.

Parable of leaven, number four. Going down to verse 33, parable of leaven. Another parable, he spoke to them, the kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal or three measures of flour till it was all leavened. I thought leaven was a bad thing. So no, during the first of 11, leaven bred, we think of leaven in a negative sense, but just like a mustard seed growing into a big tree, leaven also has a positive connotation when you think of the kingdom of God. So what is Jesus saying here in this parable? The leaven here represents the kingdom of heaven. Once again, God's transformative power that will involve the whole world. The flower, though, the flower symbolizes the world and its people, the hearts of people where God's kingdom operates, where it influences. And the process of leavening here illustrates how the kingdom starts small, but gradually and powerfully transforms everything it touches, but from within. Remember a little leavening? Leaven's a whole lump. It grows until it fills the dough. So here's some key takeaways I came up with for this parable. First of all, subtle but powerful influence. Subtle but powerful influence. Because like leaven, the kingdom seemed insignificant to people at first, in the first century. But its influence has spread quietly but pervasively, transforming people's lives, transforming entire communities. And so it must also work in us, like leaven, and fill us. It's an internal transformation we're reading about here. The leaven works within the dough, works within the congregation, works within people, symbolizing how God's kingdom changes our heart from the inside out. And that's true, of course, our faith and God's Holy Spirit. And so we ask, is God's way changing your heart completely? Is it filling you and becoming everything in your life? And it's also talking about inevitable growth here, because leaven is impossible to stop once it starts in a in a piece of dough. So it's reflecting the certainty of God's kingdom. The leaven eventually permeating everything. So while the mustard seed highlights outward growth, visible growth, turning into a big tree, the leaven parable focuses on the hidden, focuses on the heart, and internal transformation. So the mustard seed and the leaven parables are showing opposite traits of the kingdom, shall we say. But together they show complementary aspects of the power of God's kingdom and its nature. The parable of the leaven encourages us to trust in the subtle, often unseen work of God's kingdom in our lives.

But it also inspires confidence that even small acts of sharing the gospel can lead to profound transformation over time. So number five, the parable of the hidden treasure. The parable of the hidden treasure. So verse 44, again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found an hid, and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Okay, so once again, is this describing you when you found the treasure? So here in this parable how this man came across the treasure is not told us. He discovers it, he rehides it, and then in his joy sells all that he has to then go back and buy that field where he hid the treasure. And so he's securing the treasure for himself. He's noticed something buried in that field, and evidently the owner wasn't aware of it.

As a side note, why did the farmer bury all his money in the ground? He wanted to have rich soil.

So in particular, what does this parable mean? What do we learn from this? Once again, yes, the treasure represents the kingdom of heaven and God's reign, salvation, the gospel, which is of supreme value, supreme value. The field does represent the world or the context in which the kingdom is found, and the man represents anyone, you, me, anyone who encounters the kingdom and recognizes its worth. This man should be you and me. And then selling everything signifies our total commitment and sacrifice required to obtain the kingdom. We have to put God above all else in our lives, prioritizing everything below God. So here are some key takeaways from this parable of the hidden treasure. Of course, first of all, yes, the immense value of the treasure. The kingdom of heaven is so valuable it surpasses all earthly possessions or priorities. It's worth giving up everything to obtain. I like here where it talks about the joy that he has over it. It's a, selling everything here is a joyful sacrifice. It's a joyful sacrifice. The man's joy in finding the treasure motivates his willingness to sell all that he has, reflecting the delight and eagerness of embracing the kingdom. So we too must joyfully embrace what we have found, what God has shown to us. And then thirdly, I have here the hidden value. The treasure is hidden, suggesting the kingdom's true value may not be immediately obvious to all, but those who discover it recognize its worth. We too must recognize the worth and value of this hidden treasure that we here today know and understand and have within our grasp. We have that treasure now, so we hold on to it. We value it and we have joy in our life over what we've found. Number six, similar but different here, okay? The parable of the pearl of great price. Verse 45, again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who when he has found one pearl of great price went and sold all that he had and bought it. So now the merchant here, in verse 45 and 46, in verse 45 and 46, should be us, right? We are that merchant. The pearl represents the kingdom of heaven, once again God's kingdom, his reign, his salvation, the gospel message, which is of unparalleled worth. You actually can't put a price on this pearl. And the merchant symbolizes a person seeking truth, seeking meaning, a seeking spiritual fulfillment. Once again, that merchant should be you and me. And then selling everything here in the parable indicates total commitment and sacrifice required to obtain the kingdom, once again prioritizing it above everything else. Key takeaways from this parable of the pearl of great price. Once again, yes, supreme value. The kingdom of heaven is depicted as the ultimate treasure worth more than all worldly possessions or achievements.

But a key takeaway here that's different from the hidden treasure is intentional pursuit. Unlike the parable of the hidden treasure, where the man stumbles upon the treasure and recognizes its value, this merchant is actively seeking it out, suggesting that the kingdom is also found by those who earnestly pursue the truth, those who pray and ask God to show them the truth.

And so we have to think of ourselves, how deeply do we continue to pursue a deeper understanding of Scripture and God's truth? Do we ask Him to show us that pearl more deeply each time? And then, of course, the sacrifice here as well, like there was with the parable of the hidden treasure, there's sacrifice. The merchant's willingness to sell everything reflects the joy and conviction of embracing the kingdom and recognizing its unmatched worth. There is nothing like it. It is unmatched, this pearl of great price. And so we say, is this how we feel about the pearl? That we've been given? The parable encourages us to actively seek and prioritize the kingdom of heaven, recognizing its supreme value and us being willing to give up everything.

Wealth, status, personal ambitions, anything to gain it, to obtain it. And it challenges us to pursue God's truth with dedication and to respond with wholehearted commitment now that we've found it, now that we have purchased it. And then finally, the parable of the dragnet, the parable of the dragnet, the fishnet. Verse 47, again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered the fish of every kind, which when it was full they drew to the shore, and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels.

So we say, you know, this should be us, right, the good? But threw the bad away. And then verse 49, so it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. Once again, they will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. So this is very similar to verses 41 and 42, isn't it?

The angels separating God's elect and then the lake of fire. You'll remember what Jesus said in Mark chapter 13 verse 27. Jesus says, when he returns he will send the angels and gather together his elect from the four winds from the farthest parts of the earth. So there are other verses about the angels gathering God's elect together, including Mark 13 verse 27. So the seven parables describing God's kingdom give various aspects of its certainty and its relevance for us today.

And we want to be counted among the good fish that are caught, not those that are thrown away. So to explain this parable again, the dragnet represents the kingdom, the kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of God, which draws in all kinds of people through the proclamation of the gospel. Through the proclamation of the gospel. The sea symbolizes the world, encompassing all of humanity. And then the fish represent the people of the world, both righteous, those who belong to the kingdom, like you and me, and the wicked who ultimately reject it.

And the sorting signifies the final judgment at the end of the age, like we read about earlier, when angels will separate the righteous from the wicked. And the fiery furnace symbolizes divine judgment on the wicked. And the outcome of this parable is very similar to the outcome of the parable of the wheat and tares. And so here are our final takeaways. First of all, the inclusivity of the kingdom. The dragnet gathers all kinds of fish, reflecting how God will give this opportunity for salvation to everyone, regardless of background. And it's up to each person then to respond, each fish to respond in a positive manner.

But there will be a final judgment, we're warned. Like the parable of the wheat and tares, this parable emphasizes how God will allow the righteous and wicked to coexist together at the same time until the end, when a definitive judgment will take place. A sorting of the fish will occur eventually.

And then it's talking about moral accountability. It talks about how we will face judgment based on our response, on our response to the Gospel of the kingdom, which of course urges our continual repentance and faithfulness to what we've been called to. It is encouraging to read in other passages and other parables even that most fish will end up being good fish.

The incorrigibly wicked, it seems, will be a minority, right? But there's a warning here, don't be the minority.

Here's a final summary in the chapter about the parables. Verse 51. Verse 51, Jesus said to them, have you understood these things? And he said to him, yes, Lord.

And of course, each of us here today, we say, have you understood this? Do you understand what we're talking about here, the seriousness of the situation? Then he said to them, verse 52, therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven. Have you been instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven?

Well, every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old. So we're saying, is this scribe you? This climax and summary is speaking about God's church and its role.

Those who teach God's people are basing their teaching on the old, on ancient scriptures. But at the same time, they're bringing out new insights. So they're bringing out new and old.

So we understand the Old Testament and we understand Jesus' teachings, which became the New Testament. After asking the disciples here if they understood these parables, Jesus compares a scribe trained for the kingdom to a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old. And this suggests that those who understand the kingdom, like you and me, are now equipped to share its truths and must now share its truths, drawing on both Old Testament wisdom and the new revelations of Jesus, his teachings from what became the New Testament.

And so here's how the parable of the dragnet directly relates to you and me. It calls us to live faithfully, knowing that a final judgment will separate the righteous from the wicked. It also warns us against complacency, because inclusion in the net, just hearing the gospel, does not guarantee salvation without a genuine response. Plus, we're encouraged to be a light to the world, living the kingdom's message with wisdom as his scribes, blending Old Covenant truths with Jesus' new revelations and New Covenant.

So it's an interesting chapter here, the kingdom of heaven in Jesus' own words through these seven parables. And I pray the material has been helpful. I want to conclude in the book of Matthew, the 16th chapter, because it speaks about the church at the time of the end.

Christ is here speaking to the disciple Peter, who became the apostle Peter. Of course, he calls him Cephas or Cephas in Aramaic, which means a stone. And in the Greek, it's Petros, which means rock or stone. So I guess Jesus was calling him rocky, right? Matthew 16 verse 18. Matthew 16 verse 18. I also say to you that you are Peter. On this rock I'll build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. So the church is not going to be limited by the grave, not going to be limited by death. People come, people are born, people die, but the church remains and will remain. And it's a fact the church will be there in the end time at the time of final judgment. We will be there in the end time as the body of Christ. The church is why the world will be preserved. Remember, we are the kingdom of God in embryo form, is what we used to say. If you go to Matthew 24 and read verse 22. Matthew 24 verse 22.

And unless those days were shortened, talking of great tribulation at the end time, no flesh would be saved. But for the elect's sake, those days will be shortened. It's because of the body of Christ. It's because of the elect. It's because of the church that those days will be shortened. Christ will intervene and save his people and save this world.

The church, Jesus said, is not going to die. And the church has remained throughout history. The church exists today. The church will exist in the future. And ultimately, the church will encompass basically all of mankind when all are called and offered salvation.

To conclude, the key themes of Matthew chapter 13 then are these.

The kingdom starts small, but grows significantly. It does coexist with evil until the final judgment.

But its value surpasses all worldly possessions.

And remember, people's responses to the kingdom vary, affecting their own spiritual outcomes.

And then a final separation of good and evil will occur at the end of the age. So these parables use everyday imagery to convey profound spiritual truths about the nature, growth, and ultimate triumph of God's kingdom. So I pray we now perhaps better understand and appreciate the king, teaching about his kingdom. These parables talk about the kingdom right from Jesus' own mouth, the kingdom in Jesus' own words.