In Matthew 4 it says Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near”. The message of the Kingdom was at the core of everything Jesus came to say and do. Jesus came to be a model and an example for us to follow. He set the standard by which those who follow Him are to conduct themselves in this world. Jesus did not simply come to earth to die on a cross so we would go to heaven one day.
He came to reveal what our nature and character should be like while we are on the earth. Jesus said, ‘you are in the world, but not of the world’. And not being of this world, meant there is a standard by which we display where we are from. Jesus came to establish a Kingdom, and to show us how citizens of THIS kingdom conduct themselves.
1 Peter 2:21.
“To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.”
John 13:15.
“I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”
Presently, and in times past, it’s expected for those who minister God’s word, to preach popular, simple and relatable messages. Preach messages that make us ‘feel good’. We hear messages of salvation, the word of faith, and of prosperity. All we long to know is that we go to heaven when we die (or get raptured before that), we healed from any sickness and disease, and we will prosper, living our best lives and have all our heart desires.
What are we to preach?
You’ve probably heard that Jesus taught about money more than anything else. And Jesus did talk a lot about money, but He didn’t teach about it in the way that you might think. We need to know if we going to understand scripture, that the Bible has its own language. I don’t mean the way we understand languages, as in Greek or Hebrew or English. The Bible is not simply understood by your ability to read and comprehend words. It’s important to know that the Bible isn’t interpreted through basic terminologies and literal meanings. Many times the language of the Bible is symbolic or metaphorical, by way of illustrations and parables, etc. The Bible cannot be understood by a common-carnal-natural mind.
“It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.”
Simply put, God conceals the revelation of His word in the hiding place of his glory. But the honor of kings lay in their ability to thoroughly search out the truth of all that which God says.
I find it funny that unbelievers think they’re able to interpret or even understand the bible by simply reading it. And it’s sad that some believers, even leaders read, interpret and preach the word outside of the fellowship of the Spirit. That’s interpreting the Bible with a domestic or carnal mind, and not allowing the Spirit to reveal the hidden truths.
Statistically it’s said that Jesus spoke more about money than any other topic. That may be true in a sense, depending on your lens of interpretation. Often times Jesus is using money as an illustration, and not literally speaking about money. He is simply using the concept of money to direct us to a bigger point. To help better understand a much greater truth.
Did Jesus teach a lot about money? Yes He did. Although, every topic Jesus covered, was always within the context of His original and core message, The Kingdom of God!
The Message of the Kingdom ‘Shall’ Be Preached.
We preach every kind of message except the message Jesus came teaching. Are we meant to preach salvation, faith or prosperity? YES, we definitely are meant to! But these messages need to find its correct fitting within the gospel of the good news. It needs to be taught with the Kingdom of God at its foundation! The preaching of salvation, of healing, prosperity, faith, and any other topic taught, must be understood within the context of the Kingdom.
We have been taught that we need to be born again/saved so that we may enter heaven and not go to hell. This simple isn’t true. Jesus tells Nicodemus in John 3, “that you must be born again in order for you to “see and enter the Kingdom”. Going to heaven, or not going to hell, has never been the reason for us being born again. We have the privilege of gong to Heaven when we die, but it was and is not the intention for us being saved. The Kingdom of God was always the true intention!
Luke 4:43.
but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.”
Matthew 10:7.
As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’
Not only did Jesus come preaching the Kingdom of God, and saying it was the purpose for which He was sent, He also sent out the disciples to go and preach the exact same message.
We fail to realize that Jesus’ message was of His kingdom, and not of a religious nature as many have made it today. Jesus was resolute concerning His message of the Kingdom of heaven. He continued His message right after His forty days in the wilderness. “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.”
The message of the Kingdom was such a focal point of Jesus’ teaching that Acts 1 states:
Acts 1:3; “After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the KINGDOM OF GOD.”
Even after His resurrection, He remained on the earth, dealing with one thing, the Kingdom of God! It is undeniable that the message of the Kingdom was the emphasis and purpose of Jesus’ teachings.
Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount shows that those who follow the “beatitudes” are rewarded with the Kingdom of God/inheriting the earth/comfort/satisfied etc. Matthew 19 gives an account of Jesus equating popular terms such as “eternal life” and “saved” as the same thing as entering the Kingdom of God when it is established upon the earth.
Consider the parables Jesus spoke in Matthew 13:
- “Parable of the Sower” – Matthew 13:3-8: sowing the word of the Kingdom.
- “Parable of the Weeds” – Matthew 13:24-30: The Kingdom is like a man that sowed good seed in his field.
- “Parable of the Mustard Seed” – Matthew 13:31-32: The Kingdom is like a mustard seed.
- “Parable of the Yeast” – Matthew 13:33: The Kingdom is like leaven.
- “Parable of the Hidden Treasure” – Matthew 13:44: The Kingdom is like treasure hidden in a field.
- “Parable of the Pearl” – Matthew 13:45-46: The Kingdom is like a merchant is search of fine pearls.
- “Parable of the Fishing Net” – Matthew 13:47-50: The Kingdom is like a dragnet let down.
When the disciples asked Jesus why He speaks to the people in parables, this was His response, “The knowledge of the secrets of the Kingdom of God has been given to you, but no to them”.
We see in the parable of the sower, the enemy comes to steal the seed of the word. There’s only one type of seed the enemy is after, and that’s the seed of the Kingdom message. The enemy knows that if believers allow the seed of the word of the Kingdom to germinate and produce what God intends it to do, he will lose complete control.
The enemy doesn’t fear us going to church, worshiping and declaring the goodness of God. He’s not concerned about us hearing messages of salvation, healing, prosperity or faith. He wants to rob us from understanding the truth, that God prepared a Kingdom for us to live in, under His complete rule, order and protection. A Kingdom that keeps us from the plans of the enemy, where we are hidden from his schemes and influence. It’s the message of the Kingdom of God that is needed to be preached, and is the basis for every other message.
There needs to be repentance, a turning away from teachings which are outside of the knowledge of the Kingdom of God. This is why we pray. “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done”.