What is the Kingdom of God like?

Introduction

The following stories are from the very heart of God given through Jesus Christ concerning God’s great love for all the people of this world. We are all very precious to Him and He loves us very dearly to the point that He was willing to make such a painful decision to sacrifice His very life to purchase our salvation for us. And He demonstrated His love in action by coming down in humility and genuine love in the person of Jesus Christ and dying on a cruel cross to redeem us from sin and eternal death.
If you summarize it all in one sentence it will be something like this: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
You can personalize it by inserting your name within in the bracket below and repeat it slowly a few times, you may experience a trickle of the length and the breadth and the height and the depth of His love for you.
“For God so loved (me) that He gave His one and only Son that if I believe in Him I shall not perish but have eternal life.” How wonderful and marvelous is His love for us! How could we ever reject such a love as this? His deep love for us motivated Him to give His life for us, knowing that there is no other way.
So listen to the stories he told them about God’s love for them and the consequences of rejecting His offer of love in His Son.

The Parable of the Tenants

Jesus told these stories to the chief priests
and elders of the people of the day who had
been following him.
“There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a vine press in it and built a watchtower. Then He rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey. When the harvest time appeared, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.
“The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. Then He sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. Last of all, he sent his only son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.
“But when the tenants saw the son,
they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and take his inheritance.’ So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
“Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to these tenants?”
“He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” They replied. “And he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”
Jesus said to them, “Have you never read the Scriptures: “’The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
“Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. He who falls on this stone will be broken to peaces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”

The Parable of the Wedding Banquet

Jesus talked to them again in parables, saying (Matthew 22:1-14) “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.
“Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’
But they paid no attention and went off – one to his field, another to his business. The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burnt their city.
“Then said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, those I invited did not deserve to come. Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and wedding hall was filled with guests.
“But when the king came in to see the guests he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding cloths. ‘Friend’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without the wedding cloths?’ The man was speechless.
“The king told the attendance, ‘Tie him hand and foot and throw him outside, into the darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of the teeth.’ For many are invited, but few were chosen.”
The Story of the Ten Maids
This time He told this story to His disciples.
“The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. But only five of them were wise enough to fill their lamps with oil, while the other five were foolish and forgot.
“So, when the bridegroom was delayed, they lay down to rest to rest until midnight, when they were roused by the shout, ‘The bridegroom is coming! Come out and welcome him!’
“All the girls jumped up and trimmed their lamps. The five who hadn’t any oil begged the others to share with them, for their lamps were going out. “But the others replied, ‘We haven’t enough. God instead to the shops and buy some for yourselves.’
“But while they were gone, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked.
“Later when the other five returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Sir, open the door for us!’
“But he called back, ‘’Go away! It is too late!
“So stay awake and be prepared, for you do not know the date or moment of my return.”

Parable of the Hidden Treasure

Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field” (Matthew 13:44).

Parable of  the Priceless Pearl

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it” (Matthew 13:45).

Parable of the Net

“Once again, the kingdom of God is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it upon the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth”
“Have you understood all these things? Jesus asked.” “Yes,” They replied. (Matthew 13:47-50).
Conclusion

Parable of the corner stone (the Capstone) Jesus talked about in the 1st story is Himself, the Son of God. If we reject Him, God will destroy us by casting us into the Lake of Fire. If we accept Him, God will accept us into heaven and give us eternal life.

In the 2nd Story, everyone who accepted the invitation received a wedding cloth when they arrived as a mark that they are the official guests. Others are considered intrudes and cast out. When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, God imparts His Holy Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee that we belong to Him and a first installment of all that He is going to give us. Then we are welcome into the Kingdom of God.
The third story tells us not to procrastinate. Receive Jesus Christ and be prepared for His unannounced arrival.
Do you want this Hidden Treasure? Do you want this Priceless Pearl? Do you want to be that Righteous one? You can. Jesus is the Hidden Treasure, He is the Priceless Pearl and all those who accept Him are the Righteous ones.
God’s deepest concern is that in spite of all this personal love and sacrifice, man may reject His offer of eternal life through His Son Jesus Christ and find themselves separated from Him eternally in the Lake of fire. Therefore, before He returned to heaven after His resurrection from the dead, Jesus commanded His disciples and followers saying, “All power in Heaven and on Earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” Matthew 28:18-20.
Dear friend, you are invited to come into the Kingdom of God but you have to accepted the invitation by receiving Jesus as your Savior and Lord? If you accept the invitation by receiving Jesus you will receive a warm welcome into the Kingdom of God.
You may be asking, “How can I receive Jesus as my Savior and Lord?” Here is how you can receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior.
Do you understand now what the Kingdom of God is like?
Do you like to receive Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord?
If you are ready and willing, here is how can receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior.