Oct. 6, 2024 The Word of God is Alive and Powerful Part Two

Sunday October 6, 2024

The WORD of God is Alive and Powerful

The Word of God is the message of the kingdom

“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. Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as 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. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And 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!” And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. “Therefore hear the parable of the sower: 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 received seed by the wayside. But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”” (Matthew 13:1–23, NKJV)

Why do you speak in parables? Because it is given to you to know, experience and understand the mysteries of the kingdom.

To who is it given? To those who have ears to hear, eyes to see, and a heart to believe.

Whoever has spiritual ears to hear, spiritual eyes to see and a spiritual heart to believe will receive and will put these mysteries into practice. And as a result of hearing, seeing and believing the kingdom mysteries and putting them into practice, they will hear and see and believe more and put the “more” into practice.

Whoever does not have ears to hear, eyes to see and a heart to believe will lose what he does hear, see and believe.

When anyone hears the word or message of the kingdom and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes to snatch away what was sown into their heart. The wicked one comes to snatch it from you. Mark 4:15 says that satan comes immediately to steal it.

What is the devil trying to keep you from receiving? The message of the kingdom. What is so valuable that the satan himself comes immediately to steal from you? The word of the kingdom.

Why is the message of God’s dominion and your role in God’s dominion so scary to the devil? Simple. Jesus gave those who receive the kingdom power to rule the world with Him. “If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us.” (2 Timothy 2:12, NKJV) Want another one? “For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)” (Romans 5:17, NKJV) One more ““Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32, NKJV)

Where does the word get sown? Into the heart. Then the hearing ear and the seeing eye of the spirit takes hold of it and begins practicing it. How do we know that hearing in faith equals doing? Simple. Do you remember last week when I quoted this verse? “casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.” (2 Corinthians 10:5–6, NKJV) What is the definition of disobedience and obedience that I gave to you least week? Mishearing and Hearing rightly. How does one know that someone has heard rightly? They will do rightly what they have heard rightly.

The word of the kingdom reveals the mysteries of the kingdom which gives us access to authority and power that exceeds natural earthly authority and power. Want a Scripture? “Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.” (Hebrews 6:1–6, NKJV)

What? Why should we leave the discussion of the doctrine and elementary principles of Christ? Christ means anointed one and his anointing. Why would Hebrews tell us to move on past this? Because Christ Jesus taught the principles of the kingdom of God and the word of the kingdom is the reason for the elementary principles of Christ. We are supposed to receive and do the word of the kingdom. We are called into a kingdom. Jesus is the door. Shall we stand around and talk about the door and how amazing it is and how well it is constructed and how the hinges work? Or should we go through the door into the kingdom and grow up in the principles of the kingdom of God?

Now look what it says about who can’t return to God if they should turn away from Him.

• They were enlightened.
• They have tasted of the heavenly gift
• They have become partakers of the Holy Spirit
• They have tasted of the good word of God (the message of the kingdom)
• They have tasted of the powers of the age to come

These are those who had ears to hear, eyes to see and a heart to believe. They were partakers of the divine nature and had experienced all things that pertain to life and godliness and they were walking in the authority and power of the kingdom of God. They were practicing the powers of the age to come - the age of the kingdom of God in us. The power of the dominion of God in our lives manifesting through us into the world around us.

“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.” (Matthew 28:18–20, NKJV) This makes you scary to the devil. This authorizes you to move past the message of the elementary principles of Christ into the mysteries of the kingdom of God. You now can grow up into the head even Christ. You now have the right to become a son of God. “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” (Romans 8:29, NKJV) Being born again does not make you a mature son of God. Being conformed to His image makes you a mature son of God. It is your destiny but you must hear rightly and obey. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good, acceptable and perfect will of God.