Of Great Value | Part 7

Jesus told a series of parables that will lead us to see a part of the gospel story and representing the Father’s kingdom on earth. To find something that we give our whole lives to is rare. Jesus led the way when He gave everything He had and we can do the same to see the Kingdom of God grow. Our values at Renewal, can only be lived out in Him, as the Kingdom of Heaven is where His values prevail in our lives. How can they be weaved into the life of Renewal? How can they link to our core four that are based around people?

Transcript

2. SCRIBES & DISCIPLES
3. “Have you understood all these things?” They said to Him, “Yes.” And Jesus said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure things new and old.” Matthew 13:51–52 (ESV)
4. And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes. Matthew 7:28–29 (ESV)
5. Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God commanded, ‘Honour your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ Matthew 15:1–9 (ESV)
6. But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,” he need not honour his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: “‘This people honours me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” Matthew 15:1–9 (ESV)
7. Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. Matthew 23:1 (ESV)
8. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger Matthew 23:4 (ESV)
9. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honour at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. Matthew 23:5–7 (ESV)
10. HEAD KNOWLEDGE BUT NO HEART PREACH BUT NO PRACTICE CONCERN ABOUT OTHERS BEHAVIOUR NOT THEIR OWN PUBLIC DISPLAY RATHER THAN PRIVATE DEVOTION
11. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Matthew 23:27–28 (ESV)
12. ‘To be a witness does not consist in engaging in propaganda nor even in stirring people up, but in being a living mystery. To live in such a way that one's life would make no sense if God didn’t exist.’ Antony Radcliffe – What Is The Point Of Being A Christian
13. “Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. “In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says: Matthew 13:13–15 (ESV)
14. ‘YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE; FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES, OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES, HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.’” Matthew 13:13–15 (ESV)
15. “As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.” Matthew 13:23 (ESV)