Message topic: The master key to God’s Kingdom.
Scripture text: 2nd Kings 5:7-14.
In many instances, we are given a statement that sounds quite simple, but turns out to be more complex than we first think it would be: I think we have one such situation for sharing today, in the statement the master key to God’s Kingdom.
First we have to ask ourselves, what is a key? And the purpose of a key: one of the description of a key is, it is a device to open a lock. In the bible it is often a symbol of the steward’s authority over his master’s household and of who gain entry to his master’s presence.
In the Old Testament God promises to raise up a new steward over Israel and to give him the key of the house of David” so that what he opens no one will shut and what he shut no one will open, Isaiah 22:22.
The biblical passage that makes reference to the keys of the kingdom is Matthew 16; 19. Jesus had asked His disciples who people taught He was. After hearing several of the more popular opinions, Jesus aimed His question directly at His disciples. Peter, responding for the twelve, acknowledged that Jesus as the Christ, the son of the living God.
After this great confession, Jesus replied, blessed are you, Simon Barjonah! for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven Matttthew16: 17-19.
Keys are used to lock or unlock doors, the specific doors Jesus has in mind, are the doors to the kingdom of heaven. Jesus is laying the foundation of His church, as in (Ephesians 2:20) the disciples will be the leaders of this new institution, and Jesue is giving them the authority to, as it were, open the doors to heaven and invite the world to enter. At this point it is important to understand how biblically speaking, one enters the kingdom of heaven.
We have been reminded of what a key is and how important it is
for people to go in and out of enclosed spaces: but the answer we are seeking is not just an ordinary key, it is asking for the master key to God’s kingdom.
On my walk each I passes by a new construction area, and had the opportunity to talk to one of the workers who informed me of what the building will be when it is finished; It will be an eight stories residential building, six floors residential, two stories for parking, and then there will be the basement accommodation and storage.
I do not know how many rooms there will be in these six floors, but I do know that there will be one thing common to all there doors, there will be a master key.
When Jesus said He would give the key of heaven to Peter, what kind of a key that He was referring to physical or spiritual? Are there any keys of the kingdom available to mankind today?
Are there any examples set for us today whereby we can follow and learn what is the key to the Masters kingdom? For that let us reflect on 2nd. Kings chapter five where we find the story of Naaman the captain of the King of Syria through whom Syria had victory over Israel.
Among the captives that were brought back from Israel, was a Maden who had become a made to Naaman’s wife who one day said to her Mistress, your husband is a good man, but he is a leper, but if he was in Samaria he would recover from his leprosy by the prophet.
When this was learned by the King of Syria, he gave letter to Naaman with gifts for the King of Israel so that this valent man could get rid of his deadly disease: but when the King of Israel red the letter asking him to heal this high- ranking military man, this upset him and took it as a means for contention.
When the prophet of God, Elisha heard of what was taking place, he asked that Naaman be sent to him: then Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, go and wash in Jordan seven times, and your flesh will become clean again.
Naaman became angry and went away and said, behold, I thought he will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of his God, and strike his hand over the place and recover the leper. He contended that the water of Abana and Pharpar, rivers Damascus, better than all the rivers of Israel, may I not go and wash in then and be clean, so he turn and went away in a rage.
One of his servant came near to him and said to him, my father, if the prophet had bid thee to do some great thing would est thou not done it? How much rather then, when he said to thee, wash and be clean?
Then went he down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean: so he return to the man of God to give thanks. What was it he did that caused him to get the skin as that of a little child? he obeyed.
Once again in 2nd.Kings we find an incidence of a widow complaining to the prophet Elisha about the creditor is come to take her two sons to be bondmen because she is not able to pay.
Elisha then said unto her, what shall I do for thee? Tell me, what hast thou in the house? and she said, thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil. Then he said, go borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbors, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.
And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full. So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.
And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, there is not a vessel more, and the oil stayed. Then she came and told the man of God, and he said, go sell the oil, and pay your debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.
From these two stories, were you able to tell what really is the master key to the master’s kingdom. First this master soldier would soon die from his disease and be no more: this woman was about to loose her two sons if she did not pay her debt, so what was their common need? They need to learn obedience?
There was no greater need in Naaman’s life, than to get rid of his leppers condition, but he could not get rid of it until he was ready to obey the command given to him to go and wash in the river Jordan seven times: it was only after he became obedient could he gotten rid of his disease, and only after the widow followed the instructions of the prophet could she over her poverty.
What is the master key which you and I have for the Master’s kingdom? It is obedience as Jesus the redeemer of all mankind who said, I am the way, the truth and the life, and no man can com to the father but by me.
No one can enter the kingdom of Almighty God, and this can only be done when we come to Him and do his will through obedience, come unto me all you who have labored and are heavy ladened and I will give you eternal rest in his kingdom forever.
What is it that helps us to be obedient? Love the Lord your God, be kind, gently, loving, forgiving, resist anger, speak the truth and strive to be obedient to our heavenly at all times.