Nov. 29, 2020

Advances the Kingdom

 Primary Text:  Mark 1:14-15                          November 28 & 29, 2020

 1)   The Kingdom is Near

 Mark 1:14-15:  After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God.  "The time has come," he said.  "The kingdom of God is near.  Repent and believe the good news!" 

Luke 4:43-44:  But he [Jesus] said, "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent."  And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea. 

Luke 9:1-2:  When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 

Acts 19:8:  Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. 

DQ 1) Define the “Kingdom of God.”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2)  Entering the Kingdom

John 3:3:  In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." 

Matthew 21:31-32:   Jesus said to them [the chief priests and the Pharisees – 21:45], "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.  For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did.  And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him."

Matthew 19:20-23:   "All these [the commandments] I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?"  Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.  Then come, follow me."  When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.  Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven."

Mark 10:13-15:  People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them.  When Jesus saw this, he was indignant.  He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." 

DQ 2) How does a person enter the kingdom of God?  When does it occur?

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3)  A Secret Kingdom

Luke 17:20-21:  Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you." 

Mark 4:10-12:  When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables.  He told them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you.  But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that, "'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'" 

DQ 3) What makes the kingdom of God a secret to many people?  In answering this question, consider 2 Corinthians 3:12-18.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4)  A Bountiful Kingdom

Mark 4:26-29:  He also said, "This is what the kingdom of God is like.  A man scatters seed on the ground.  Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.  All by itself the soil produces grain--first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head.  As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come." 

Mark 4:30-32:  Again he said, "What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it?  It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground.  Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade." 

DQ 4) How does the kingdom of God bountifully affect individuals?

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5)  Kingdom Blessings 

Luke 18:29-30:  "I tell you the truth," Jesus said to them, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life." 

DQ 5) How should individuals who are connected to the kingdom of God significantly influence other people?  

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________