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Gospel of Matthew – The Seed of the Kingdom

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We have mentioned that the gospel according to Matthew presents the gospel of the kingdom. In this Bible study we want to see that the kingdom is established and developed through the seed of the kingdom.

First we will see the parable of the sower. Then we want to emphasize that Christ the King is literally within His believers – as opposed to only being in them figuratively. This is very important, especially since we conclude this Bible study seeing the expansion of Christ as the king. That’s right, “The expansion of Christ”. How can this be? What does this mean?

If you have a soft heart toward the Lord, we believe you will be enlightened through this Bible study and even enter into the experience of the kingdom.

The Seed of the Kingdom – PDF
The Seed of the Kingdom – PowerPoint Slides

The Seed of the Kingdom – Extra Excerpt (about the Expansion of Christ the King…)

Further Reading from an excellent Ministry Sample:
The Seed Being the Word of God, The Sons of the Kingdom, and Christ Himself

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Bible Distribution Day

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We were back at the Petersen Heritage Center giving away the best gift ever – The Word of God.

  • We setup the table on Wednesday December 8, 4:30-6:30 PM.
  • Students were invited to simply take one of these New Testament study Bibles.
  • There were no strings attached, we didn’t require people to pay, to give us there name, or any such thing. 
  • We gave out the Recovery Version. It has footnotes that open up the spiritual meaning of the word. You can still get one free from Bibles for America.

2021-12-08 -Giving-Away-Free-Bibles02While we sat there, we shared portions of the word with one another. When one student came by and was interested in knowing what made this Bible different, we were able to show them a verse we were enjoying. We opened up to Matthew 13:8, where the Lord Jesus tells a parable about a sower who went out to sow. The seeds he sowed fell in different places. The verse says:

But others fell on the good earth and yielded fruit, one a hundredfold, and one sixtyfold, and one thirtyfold.

The other verses in chapter 13 as well as the footnotes in the Recovery Version helped us to understand what the good earth really is. Here’s one of the footnotes for verse 8.

The good earth signifies the good heart that is not hardened by worldly traffic, that is without hidden sins, and that is without the anxiety of the age and the deceitfulness of riches. Such a heart gives every inch of its ground to receive the word that the word may grow, bear fruit, and produce even a hundredfold (v. 23). – New Testament Recovery Version

The student smiled and thanked us for giving her the word of God. Just that alone was such a sweet encouragement to us. Thank the Lord for these sweet opportunities.

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The Tree of Life – Growing Within Us

Behold the sower went out to sow

Wednesday, November 8, 2017, 6pm.

And out of the ground Jehovah God caused to grow every three that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, as well as the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (Gen 2:9)

Taste and see that Jehovah is good; / Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him. (Psa 34:8)

As newborn babes, long for the guileless milk of the word in order that by it you may grow unto salvation, If you have tasted that the Lord is good. (1 Pet 2:2-3)

What does God, as this tree of life, want us to do?

And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, Behold, the sower went out to sow. (Matt 13:3)

And as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the way, and the birds came and devoured them. And others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much earth, and immediately they sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But others fell on the good earth and yielded fruit, one a hundredfold, and on sixty fold, and one thirtyfold. (Matt 13:4-5, 7-8)

Another parable He set before them, saying, The kingdom of the heavens has become like a man sowing good seed in his field. (Matt 13:24)

Nor will they say, Behold, here it is! Or, There! For behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you. (Luke 17:21)

Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (John 3:5)

1. What is the metaphor here for the kingdom of God?
2. From these verses above we can tell the sower sows a seed and it yields fruit. What would a seed need in order to grow and yield fruits?
3. Given the answer to the VERY FIRST question, how are these verses related to God’s purpose? In other words, what do we need to do to pursue the growth of life?

Further reading: The Tree of Life, chapter 10, published by Living Stream Ministry