Matthew 11:12 12From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.

Advancing the Kingdom of Heaven What is a Kingdom? We generally think of a geographical area that is ruled by a king. We think of England or Sweden, or Jordan, or…

Competing Kingdoms But another way to think of a kingdom is a group of people who have given their allegiance to a king. When you think of it that way, there may be competing kingdoms in the same geographical area, each of whom have people who have sworn allegiance to them. The Kingdom of Heaven is this kind of kingdom. I have some props up here with me today. What does a salt shaker, a flashlight and a package of yeast have in common?

Yeast is a living organism that causes bread to rise

What difference a little yeast makes Bread What difference a little yeast makes What difference a little yeast makes – it turns bread from this into this.

Salt Mountains of salt come from the ground and the sea, but only a few grains can make the blandest food taste better Mountains of salt come from the ground and the sea, but only a few grains can make the blandest food taste better.

Allows us to perceive the wondrous textures and hues of God’s creation Light Allows us to perceive the wondrous textures and hues of God’s creation Light – Have you ever tried to define light? It is absolutely essential to a sense of sight. It allows us to perceive the wondrous textures and hues of God’s creation from a distance. Light is something you don’t always appreciate until you don’t have it.

Have you ever been in a cave when the lights went out Have you ever been in a cave when the lights went out. That is the blackest black I have ever experienced. It is a dark you can feel.

Cave black is really dark Light causes even the darkest places to be seen Cave black is really dark, but a little light causes even the darkest places to be seen.

A Small Light Can Make A Difference Even a small flashlight can make a big difference when everything around is dark Even a small flashlight can seem like a beacon when everything around is dark. So Bill, what’s all this about yeast and salt and light. Well, Jesus talked about those things when He wanted to describe the Kingdom of Heaven. Let’s look at some examples.

Matthew 5:13 You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt looses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt looses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the salt of the earth. Hmmm I am the salt of the earth I am the salt of the earth Let’s say that together: I am the salt of the earth. Salt makes things taste better. I think it makes some foods edible. I am sure we have some doctors in the audience who can tell us how we need to reduce the salt in our diet. And that may well be, but if we eliminated all salt we would die. Salt is so important to life that the Roman soldiers were often paid in salt. That is where the term “being worth your salt” comes from.

Matthew 5:14-16 You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Jesus also said You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. You are the light of the world Hmm I am the light of the world I am the light of the world Say it together: I am the light of the world I reflect the light of God’s glory in the dark places of this world. The light from my flashlight may not be very bright, but in a dark room, it is a beacon, and combined with everyone else’s flashlight, we can be a blazing dazzling light for God.

Matthew 13:33 …The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough. The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough. Yeast puts out a little gas bubble that expands the bread dough around it, causing the whole loaf to rise. It changes the texture and the taste of the whole loaf of bread. In the same way, as citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, we change the texture and taste of this world. Salt Yeast Light They are all intrusive. They make their presence known simply by being and doing what they are supposed to do. They are each forceful in their own way.

Kingdom of Heaven as a Force Matthew 11:12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing and forceful men lay hold of it. (NIV) From the Days of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing and forceful men lay hold of it. The Greek in this verse can be taken in the active or passive sense. The NIV renders it in active sense while most other versions put it in the passive. The passive causes it to be a verse about ongoing persecution against the Kingdom. Using the active sense puts the church on the offensive instead of the defensive. I like that rendering better, because even in the context of John the Baptist, it is forceful men like John, like the apostles, like Jesus who are advancing the Kingdom. And even in the face of persecution, the very fact that they did not waver caused the Kingdom to advance that much more forcefully. [What is the greatest command?] Jesus said that the greatest command was to love God with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength. The word strength used by Jesus means great exertion or force. So what kind of strength are we talking about? It is a strength that expresses indignation over injustice It ‘s a strength that tirelessly works to change the world to make it better And this strength stands firm when the world tries to get us to match our views thoughts opinions to theirs This strength is the force of will and courage to demonstrate God’s love to those around us regardless of the personal consequences. All too often the church has been passive and the world has suffered. I know that I have often found that I am too much a creature of my culture and have not stood up assertively and consistently for the Kingdom. The kingdom of heaven doesn’t just happen. It is first and foremost the result of God’s work in the world. God uses us to extend His influence in the world which grows the kingdom. Salt, Light and Yeast are all forceful in their own ways. Not forceful in a bad way – They don’t get all rowdy and punch someone out or shoot something up - but they are just assertive about what they are. The light from the sun pushes particles from other stars away from our solar system. Yeast forms a gas bubble around itself that makes bread rise. Salt spreads itself out so that it completely pervades whatever it is in.

We Are the Kingdom of Heaven Jesus is our King and we are His kingdom We are the salt that makes the world palatable We are the light that shines God’s justice into every dark corner We are the yeast that raises this world and are a significant force for righteousness, goodness, compassion and mercy So in the Kingdom where Jesus is King: We are the salt that makes the world palatable We are the light that shines God’s justice into every dark corner We are the yeast that raises this world and are a significant force for righteousness, goodness, compassion and mercy It’s not what we are becoming, or what we could become – in time – if your good enough. No. We are the Kingdom of heaven right now. You are made in the image of God – Genesis 1:27. You are worth more than the entire universe combined because Jesus was willing to trade it all when He died in your place. God has put the advancement of His Kingdom in our hands. He made it be something that can’t be done without us. Because we are the Kingdom. We are His guys. God is not looking to anyone else but us. Wow. What a responsibility. It kind of makes you want to run and hide. But I think even more, it makes me feel really good and proud that God thinks I can do it. It makes me want to not let Him down. But there is so much to do, and I don’t know about you, but I feel totally inadequate to the task. Now here is the amazing part about all of it. God has already handled the big stuff. Satan has been defeated. Salvation from consequences of our sin has been paid for by Jesus. So now it is not about the big wonderful stuff you can do to make the Kingdom successful. The Kingdom is already a success, but its affect in the world is the result of all the little things we do day by day being God’s force in the world. Big stuff is great, but it is the little stuff, the everyday stuff that makes all the difference. Let’s look at some examples of people who day by day turned the little stuff into big stuff.

One Person Can Make a Difference Dietrich Bonheoffer Martin Luther King C. S. Lewis Mother Teresa William Wilberforce Jim Elliot William Tyndale Louie Giglio Harriet Tubman Elijah (James 5:17-18) Dietrich Bonheoffer – was a theologian who died in the Nazi concentration camps for defending the rights of Jews and Christians. There are still places in the world today where just being a Christian is dangerous. C.S. Lewis – was a professor who tried to convince people that Jesus really was the Son of God. He wrote Mere Christianity, one of the most influential books in the last 100 years for convincing people that Jesus is the Christ. There are still billions of people in the world who need someone to convince them that Jesus really is the Son of God. William Wilberforce – Headed the parliamentary campaign against the British slave trade for 26 years until slavery was abolished in England. There is still a need to politically stand up for what is right even if it takes a generation or more. William Tyndale – is most known for his translation of the of the Bible into English. He was martyred for his insistence that the common man have access to scripture. Even today there are many people who do not have ready access to scripture. Harriet Tubman – was born into slavery, successfully ran away, yet returned to slave country numerous times to rescue others. She became the most famous of the Underground Railroad’s “Conductors”. That was a long time ago, but there are more people in slavery today than at any other time in the history of the world. Martin Luther King – advanced civil rights using non-violent means. Although much has been achieved toward civil rights, people are still categorized on the basis of physical characteristics rather than on being made in the image of God. Mother Teresa - was an Albanian Indian Catholic Nun who worked among the poorest of the poor in Calcutta India. The poor are not just in Calcutta India. They are here in Knoxville – even in Hardin Valley. Jim Elliot – Jim Elliott and four fellow missionaries was killed while trying to establish contact with the Auca Indians in Ecuador. They thought they had achieved sufficient rapport to meet face to face, but when they landed near their village, they were killed by the waiting men. What makes this story so powerful is that the widows continued to try to make contact and eventually converted many in the tribe to Christ. Elizabeth Elliot was one of the widows who went back to tell the tribe about Jesus. Years later, after her second husband died of a lingering illness, she wrote a book about loosing a loved one. She had some of the most relevant things to say about suffering and the will of God that I have heard. Many times God uses the traumatic things in our lives to His glory if we will just stick with it to the end. Louie Giglio – Helps youth make a commitment for Christ and has worked to stop sex trafficking (the PC term for modern day slavery). But what he has been in the news for recently is a sermon over 15 years ago about how homosexuality is against God’s will. It kept him from saying a prayer at the president’s inauguration. To his credit, he did not back down from his statements to keep his spot on the podium. Insert James - says the same thing in the context of prayer in James 5:17-18 when he says: “Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.”

One Person Can Make a Difference YOUR NAME HERE Each one of us can make a difference every day. Say a kind word. Tell the truth. Say no to temptation. Do what your parents tell you to do. Read the Bible to a child. Be content with what you have. Keep your promises even when it is inconvenient or painful. Smile. In a dark world, these things shine like a searchlight on a dark night.

World’s Expectations Step Back Blend In Be like everyone else Tolerance and acceptance of the world’s lifestyles The expectations of the world for Christianity is not strength of character, force of convictions, and love demonstrated in personal sacrifice on the behalf of others. They expect Christians to behave like everyone else and allow the world to dictate the terms of acceptable behavior. When that fails they often portray Christians as aberrantly maladjusted and love to point to personal failures. And to our shame, my shame, we have often worked to avoid the bad opinion of the world instead of working to advance the kingdom. In our culture we try to be so tolerant of everyone and every belief that the weak, the poor, the vulnerable are often taken advantage of with no one to stand up for them. But God expects something more. He expects us to be courageous and stand in the gap between the oppressed and those doing the oppressing. He expects us to practice personal righteousness. He expects us to show mercy and humility while not compromising His holiness, righteousness and justice.

God’s Expectations Amos 5:24 – But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never failing stream. Micah 6:8 – He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Amos 5:24 – But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never failing stream. Micah 6:8 – He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

God’s Expectations I Peter 1:15-16 …just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” And then in I Peter 1:15-16 we are told this about God’s expectations. …just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” God expects us to be just like Him in our words, our character and our actions.

True righteousness takes courage and a willingness to stand up to and confront those who are perverting justice. True righteousness takes courage and a willingness to stand up to and confront those who are perverting justice.

What Can We Do? Say only what is true Practice honesty in business or classroom Verbally uphold God’s moral code Mold your life to Jesus’ character Help someone who is weak and powerless without expecting anything in return Practice sexual purity So what are some things we can do? Say only what is true. Lies end up hurting everyone. Be honest in business or classroom – even when no one else is looking Verbally uphold God’s moral code – We need to say the words. People need to know where we stand, and we need to remind ourselves where we stand. Mold your life to Jesus' character – That’s easier said than done, but the point is that we need to be working on it and be seen to be working on it intentionally. Our children need to see us being salt and yeast and light in the world Help someone who is weak and powerless without expecting anything in return – this could be at work, in your neighborhood, in the parking lot at Food City. It doesn’t have to be halfway around the world. Practice sexual purity - sex is not a tool to get what you want or a club to wield your power over someone else. God set boundaries both to protect the vulnerable and to encourage the strong to protect the weak from those who would take advantage of their weakness. In our society, this is one of the hardest things you will be faced with. The world will tell you that you can’t avoid sexual immorality, and that you are stupid if you do. But what they really want is to exploit you and turn you into the weak and vulnerable that are taken advantage of. Don’t let yourself get caught in the trap. But if you have, there is help and forgiveness. That’s why Jesus died. But we are the Kingdom of Heaven. We don’t just avoid the traps. We help tear down the traps so that others don’t fall into them.

SALT LIGHT YEAST So In Conclusion… BE A POSITIVE FORCE FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN If salt has lost its saltiness If the light no longer shines If yeast has lost its potency The voices of the competing kingdoms in this world will drown out the voice of God. But we are not going to let that happen. We are the kingdom of God. We are the yeast, the light and the salt that advances the kingdom. It is precisely at the point where we come in contact with the darkness and do not back down no matter what the personal consequences that the kingdom of heaven shines brightest. Times are coming and are here when standing up for Jesus will not be the popular thing nor indeed the safe thing. But we know our King has already won the war, and now we extend His influence into the world. I am the yeast -- I am the light of the world -- I am the salt of the earth Let’s say it again together: We are the Kingdom of Heaven. We are God’s force in this world. Let us commit today to not just holding our own, but to be the force that begins changing the world for God around us – around me. If you are not already, but want to be part of this kingdom; or if you would like prayers to help you be God’s force in this world, come forward as we sing, and we will help you.