April 26, 2018: SOAP #3066: 2Samuel 1; Psalm 140; Matthew 13

Scripture:  Matthew (NIV) 13:1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered round him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed.
Matthew (NIV) 13:36 Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”

Observation:   Much of Jesus ministry happened in the synagogues and the temple.  After all, Jesus is Jewish!  But his ministry did not depend on buildings.  Teaching the people on the sea shore while seated in a boat served Jesus fine.  Then He took his disciples into a nearby home for a small group meeting.  In Acts we see that Paul followed Jesus example, teaching “publicly and from house to house.” (Acts 20:20)

Application:   Jesus had too many people to reach and too little time to accomplish His Father’s will.  Building buildings did not fit into His plans.  The lack of a regular building never hindered Jesus in ministry.  The same was true of the church in the book of Acts.  Buildings can be a blessing, but the lack of a building should never hinder what the Holy Spirit is doing.

Prayer:    Holy Spirit, bring a mighty anointing on the church, the living members of the body of Christ.  May this age be known for what believers do outside their buildings even more than what happens inside their buildings. May I carry the person and ministry of Jesus to my neighborhood, my work, and my community. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!