We have spent the last several weeks looking at the description Jesus gives of the Kingdom of Heaven. This is not describing that eternal place of celebration we will receive at the end of this earthly existence. Instead, Jesus is giving us insight into the role we have as his disciples while still on this earth. We are citizens of God’s Kingdom now and therefore, are representatives to this world of all that Jesus accomplished through his death and resurrection.
In his parables, Jesus reminded us of the importance and power of faith. He taught us to strengthen our relationship with him so we can persevere until the end. We are told that the world will not always accept us or our message, but this does not lessen the truth. We receive encouragement that we have a reward waiting for us as we remain faithful to God’s truth. On the other hand, there is also a warning for those who reject the message of salvation. In the parable of the banquet, Jesus reminds us that those who don’t accept the promise of salvation will be cast out into eternal torment. We completed the messages of Jesus by talking about the value Jesus places on the lost. He continues to watch for them to come to him and has a great event of rejoicing when they do.
The only question remaining is, “What is our response?” I believe it has been made clear. Among his final words on this earth, Jesus commissions us to “go and make disciples”. This is a clear call that our primary role as part of the Kingdom of God on this earth is to do all we can to bring others with us into this Kingdom. This means aggressively declaring the Good News of Jesus and its eternal importance to those who have not yet accepted the free gift of salvation.
This does not require you to be a pastor or a trained evangelist to fulfill this purpose. There are some important steps you can do to join Jesus in this vital opportunity. The first involves a self-check. We each need to ask this question, “Is my delight in Jesus so deep that I can’t help talking about him?” Many of us have no problem discussing our family or work. We talk about our kids’ accomplishment in sports, music, art, etc. But do we talk about Jesus? If not, why not? One of the biggest hindrances to discussing Jesus is that we just don’t want to. Because Jesus is not important in our life, we don’t see the value of offering him to others.
This is where we need to do a deep dive. It’s easy to refute this statement with a declaration of our full commitment to our Lord. However, our words don’t reveal the entire story. Often, our actions speak far more loudly. My passion for something is measured by how much time, energy, and resources I put into pursuing it. How much time do you spend each day pursuing a stronger understanding and a closer bond with Jesus? What other areas of life are willingly sacrificed to allow time and energy for this pursuit. God defines his expectation of the depth of pursuit we should have for him. Psalm 84:2 – My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Matthew 6:21 – For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 1 Corinthians 10:31 – So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
When we have a deep delight in our Lord, we can’t help talking about him. We can build the strength of this delight by spending time developing our relationship more deeply.