KINGDOMS OF POWER, GRACE AND GLORY
Gracious everlasting Father; we thank you for the gift of your commandments to mankind. Your Law; you show us our sin and your displeasure; whilst Your Gospel shows us your agape love which you abundantly pour on us through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ your dear Son, our Lord. Merciful Father, By the power of the Holy spirit working through grace, may we acknowledge ourselves for the sinners we are; whilst upholding Jesus for the Savior He is… in the name of the Father, Son and Holy spirit. Amen.
Amen!
REV. What is the theme for today’s discussion? Kingdoms of Power, Grace and Glory
Reading through the Bible, one will discover humanity’s desire and attraction toward sin. Humans are sinful by nature; beyond imagination we commit all kinds of sin… on daily basis we sin much against God!
Rev. I just don’t understand how those old bible stories are applicable to our lives today.
Emilia; Emilia, Every period of human life… history has shown how men and women, young and old, weak and strong look judge themselves; as the best and fairest; the wisest and most discerning of all creation.
I don’t want to sound political…. However we find ourselves in political space and time: due to that, it is common to hear flag bearers condemning others except themselves; they declare themselves to be the best choice isn’t it?
Interesting, Rev. our airways and screens are full of these politicians and messages… anyway I will leave it as such…
Bless You…. Jesus in His High Priest prayer recorded in John 17… made it clear that His followers are in this world but not of the world… latter Jesus stood before Pilate and declared in John 18:36 that His kingdom is not of this world….
Dear friends: As citizens of Ghana we are all encouraged to go on the day of polls to exercise our civic right… we should however not be too much involved with political activities of the Kingdom of power; in other words; the Kingdom on the left.
Our true citizenship is of the Kingdom on the right… in other words the kingdom of Grace … with Jesus is our Lord and Savior – Jesus is our Prophet, Priest and King in His Kingdom of grace.
I must however add that as people, and as individuals in the kingdom of power, we desire and prefer to follow our own ways…We want to choose our future and be in control of affairs… we often time neglect God the one who created, the One who protects, provides and sustains all creation.
Rev. There should be nothing wrong with being in control of affairs… isn’t it?
My dear; Pride misleads us: Pride motivated Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden… ref Genesis 3.
Pride: Motivated the building of the famous tower of Babel;
Pride: Lead to the destruction of the kingdoms of Judah and Israel;
Pride is what caused God’s people to disregard their Prophets.
If there is any sin which made Jesus furious, it was pride.
Jesus condemned all kinds of sin, worse of all His anger was hot against pride.
Out of pride, the Pharisees made strange and impossible to understand laws; these doctrine of men made Jesus very furious.
Rev. what makes you think Jesus was furious?
I have heard many sermons, but never; have I heard a minister speak boldly to his congregation the way Jesus spoke to the self-indulged Pharisees and Scribes.
- Dear friends: “The scribes and the Pharisees…preach, but they do not practice what they profess.
- They impose heavy burdens and taxes citizenry …they compel others to comply, but they themselves are not willing to leave accordingly.
- What a hypocrisy
Just listen to what Jesus said to them in Matthew 23:
-
- Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces.
- For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in… Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
- For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence… 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…
- You are sons of those who murdered the prophets…
- You serpents, brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?”
Those are strong words…. Rev… Jesus really preached that!
You see: The Pharisees were not the fairest group of people when Jesus spoke those words to them and they were not the fairest throughout Jesus’ life.
The chief Priests, the Pharisees and the Sadducees in (Matthew 21:23) inquired of Jesus “Tell us, by what authority, you are doing and saying all these kinds of things?”
Typical of Him, Jesus told a parable of a landowner and some farmers to whom he rented his property….
From the story; it is important to note:
- This landowner: should be a man of vision… He made other investments on the estate: He planted the vines, built a wine press and protected his fields from trespassing.
- Out of generosity, this landowner leased his property to tenants on a simple term.
- In the agreement: The landowner on one hand supply all the raw materials needed, the farmers or the tenants on the other hand are to offer their labor; then the profit is to be shared between them fairly.
Rev. that is a good deal; everyone should endeavor to embrace such an opportunity!
It was explicitly a good deal but pride set in…the farmers became greedy.
In the story; they forgot entirely about the One who had supplied and made everything possible for the harvest…
They thought only of themselves. Pride took the better part of them.
Oh my God… Pride and selfishness will kill humanity…
It so happened that the at the time of harvest; the owner sent some servants to collect what was his share, interestingly the tenants did not only say, “No” They beat up the master’s messengers, and managed to murder some of them… they murdered the Prophets….
So the landowner who is God in the Story, sent his only Begotten Son – Jesus Christ…!
Interesting Scenario
- You know what? The renters plotted against Jesus, as well. … According to Jesus’ story, the renters got rid of the son who is the heir of the estate so they could be in charge…. The full story is recorded in (Matthew 21:33-39).
- When Jesus first told that story, The religious big-shots listening realized He was speaking about them. In truth, this parable is speaking to anyone who feels he or she can ignore God the Creator and Preserver of all life.
- The meaning of the 1st commandment is for us to Fear, Love and Trust in God above all things,
- Bless you… I must state that pride absolutely misleads us and we become self-centered. Listen to the truth: Everything good and perfect gift comes from God above; therefore everything we own is possible because God gave them to us.
Rev. what about good spouses and good children, are they also from God…considering the Kingdoms of Power, Grace and Glory
In Genesis 2: God gave Eve to Adam right…. Eve said she delivered a son by the help of the Lord…so she named him Cain…!. You see God had always wanted the best for His people.
- In time of sin, God declared the salvation plan. In time of rebellion, God gently brought His people back.
- In refusing to comply, God dealt with them in ways they understand.
- God consequently sent Prophets to rebuke them, “Thus saith the Lord.”
- Rev. When God’s Word was pronounced clearly and concisely, what did God’s chosen people do?
- Pride, the hearts of men are always full of evil! They disregarded the messengers; they beat and murdered many others.
- Like the tenants in the story, God’s people rebelled and tried to take control of their destinies… the ignored God the Landlord!
It is Interesting and blessed to note how Jesus pointed Israel’s sinful past in the story.
He took the religious leaders on a sad walk down the memory lane… whilst making predictions about His immediate future. In His story, Jesus was letting his audience know that His mandate…, He had been sent to reach and redeem the sinner, by paying the ultimate price on the Cross of Calvary outside Jerusalem.
- Jesus was telling them; His death would come at their hands… outside Jerusalem, which is God’s Vineyard
- Rev. is it that, Jesus knew what these men had been keeping secret;
- Jesus is Divine, He knew that a contract had been placed on His head;
- Jesus knew those men, would pay one of His own disciples to betray Him.
- Jesus knew how, He would be arrested. Taken through a series of fake trials and sentenced to death under the cover of darkness.
In the story the tenants kill the Master’s Son; in reality humanity murdered the Savior who had come to save us from sin, satan the devil and death.
Rev. Did this terrible story end with the death of Jesus.… I will give you the opportunity when we return from….
Rev. Did this terrible story end with the death of Jesus
Mr. Kyei and my dear listeners: listen carefully… in the Kingdoms of Power, Grace and Glory
- Because Jesus is the Son of God;
- He had, through His entire life, resisted the temptation put before Him by the forces of evil;
- He had fulfilled all the prophecies made about the Messiah;
- Because Jesus had successfully carried every sin we have committed and continue to commit unto the Cross;
- Jesus’ substitution and one time sacrifice for us was accepted, by the Father… Hallelujah
- Amen!
Thanks be to God: Sin, death, and the devil had been defeated and the risen Jesus showed a prideful world the success of His mission… Hallelujah
Amen!
Because Jesus has risen, all who believe and acknowledge… as their Savior, are forgiven of their sinful past and are promised an everlasting blessings… Hallelujah
Amen!
In summary
Friends, reality is making me fear; that some of you are still holding on to pride, and refusing to acknowledge Jesus as Lord and Savior.
If you are among those, I am pray for the Holy Spirit to grant you mercy.
When Jesus told that story, He also regretfully and reluctantly predicted a most miserable death – I mean an eternal death which awaits those who refuse the salvation His life, suffering, death, and resurrection had won.
Rev. that seem harsh; isn’t it?
Friends to some of you, it is harsh, sure it must be harsh… Let me re-assure you, with Jesus it is not that harsh ok.
By faith; believe in Jesus as your Savior in the kingdom of Grace. He is the Lord and owner of your life in the kingdom of Glory. Gladly submitted to His authority…
I prayer you believe in Jesus as your Savior in these kingdoms of Power, and Grace. whilst waiting upon Him to take us to Himself in His kingdom of Glory were we shall live with and the holy angels in everlasting life.
May the name of Jesus Christ be praised now and forever more
Amen.
Benediction
The Lord bless you and keep you
The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious unto you
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and grant you His everlasting peace… in the name of the father, the Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen!
Amen! Amen! Amen!