Part 1 - The King and His Kingdom What is the Kingdom of God like? “The secret of the Kingdom of God has been given to you..” Mark 4:10 Study by: Ivan Cooper Sermons can be viewed on the Hope Valley Church YouTube Channel GATHERING / WORSHIP / PRAYER Take a few minutes to catch up with each other and build community. If you have new people present give time to getting to know each other. Possibly listen to the song ‘This is the Kingdom’ by Elevation Worship. Pray together in the words of Jesus the Lord’s prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) FOCUS The Kingdom of God (also referred to as The Kingdom of Heaven) is a multilayered theme mentioned often in the four gospels. It refers to God’s universal rule over all of creation, for “the Lord has made the heavens His throne; from there He rules over everything” (Psalm 103:19). It also describes God's spiritual rule within the hearts of God’s children as they surrender to Jesus, who said, “...give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). When Jesus spoke on the Kingdom he often taught in parables, which were simple stories rich in metaphors, to illustrate deep spiritual truths. Ultimately, they teach us to know and serve Jesus, the true King of Kings and Lord of Lords (1 Timothy 6:15). SETTING THE SCENE The term translated as ‘parable’ in the New Testament is parabolē; which came from a combination of two Greek words, para + ballō. Para refers ‘to the side’ and ballō ‘to throw’. It draws an image of laying or placing one thing beside another to compare or consider. Jesus taught deep and profound truths of the Kingdom using these illustrations that required prolonged thought and His later explanation. They were rich in symbolism, often contained bold characters and were not easily forgotten. The Holy Spirit gives believers discernment to understand the spiritual truths about the seemingly ‘upside down’ kingdom of Heaven, that goes contrary to much of our human thinking or expectations. OPENING GOD’s WORD Warm Up Question: When have you learnt something that was surprising or not as you expected? Read: Luke 13:18-21 Take turns reading from several different translations What first caught your interest or stuck out to you as you read this passage? What questions do you still want answered? What would you say are the main ideas in these parables? What truths do these parables teach us about God and His Kingdom? What is God teaching you from these parables? LIVING OUT GOD’s WORD What truths has God revealed to you from these parables and this study time together? How will knowing this impact on how you live each day as a citizen in God’s Kingdom? PRAYER Pray that we could grow in our knowledge of our great King Jesus and His never ending Kingdom. Pray that more people in our community could discover the freedom found in the Kingdom of Heaven. Contacts If you would like more information or further help please contact: scott.button@hopevalleychurch.com.au