The Kingdom is About Desire (Matthew 7:7-12)
At this point in the sermon you can imagine Jesus’ audience asking themselves, “how?” How do we remove the planks from our eyes? How do we help our fellow citizens? How do we recognize the enemy in disguise? And, for that matter, if we are all incapable of achieving the Kingdom on our own and need God’s mercy and grace, how do we receive it? How can we become citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven?
Jesus gives us an answer that seems too easy: Want it.
But if you think about it, it does make sense. If we are, on our own, incapable of pleasing God and doing what it takes to be His people; if God desires to help us and wants to make us His own; then the key role we have to play is to simply want it. We need to desire what God desires.
If you knew as a child that your parents were going to give you a specific gift, maybe even that they already bought it for you, how can you be guaranteed to receive what YOU want? How can you know you will get what you ask for? Want what they want to give you. Ask for what they have already gotten you.
(Of course, the trip up with all of this is that so many people want what THEY want and not what God wants for them; even though the things that God has for us are the best possible things. That is the nature of sin. It is the essence of our rebellion against God. We want the terrible things we think we need and reject the wonderful things that were made specifically for us.)
So, you want to be a part of God’s Kingdom? Good. God wants you too, and He will make you His. You want to improve and get rid of the bad things in your life? So does God and He will help you do that. You want to help other find Him and become who they were created to be? God wants that too!
If you want what God wants for your life, simply trust Him and follow His ways, obey the things that His word reveals to you, and He will get you there. God is not some cruel cosmic jokester, teasing you with things you can’t have. You may find you want things that you can’t have or that are bad for you, but they won’t come from Him.
Jesus gives us an answer that seems too easy: Want it.
But if you think about it, it does make sense. If we are, on our own, incapable of pleasing God and doing what it takes to be His people; if God desires to help us and wants to make us His own; then the key role we have to play is to simply want it. We need to desire what God desires.
If you knew as a child that your parents were going to give you a specific gift, maybe even that they already bought it for you, how can you be guaranteed to receive what YOU want? How can you know you will get what you ask for? Want what they want to give you. Ask for what they have already gotten you.
(Of course, the trip up with all of this is that so many people want what THEY want and not what God wants for them; even though the things that God has for us are the best possible things. That is the nature of sin. It is the essence of our rebellion against God. We want the terrible things we think we need and reject the wonderful things that were made specifically for us.)
So, you want to be a part of God’s Kingdom? Good. God wants you too, and He will make you His. You want to improve and get rid of the bad things in your life? So does God and He will help you do that. You want to help other find Him and become who they were created to be? God wants that too!
If you want what God wants for your life, simply trust Him and follow His ways, obey the things that His word reveals to you, and He will get you there. God is not some cruel cosmic jokester, teasing you with things you can’t have. You may find you want things that you can’t have or that are bad for you, but they won’t come from Him.
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