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The Silk Road to the Kingdom of God
- 1. The Silk Road to the Kingdom of God © 2023 Tim Martens United Church of God-Northwest Arkansas
- 2. Ancient China made Silk Cloth and even Silk Flowers
- 4. Silk Road Map – China to Europe
- 5. Not Just Silk • Ceramics (fine china) • Salt • Spices • Sugar • Tea
- 10. The Silk Road was the Road to Wealth Merchants were willing to take the risks because of the huge rewards.
- 11. Dangers of Traveling the Silk Road • Robbery • Killed by thieves • Thirst to death • Starve to death • Disease (bubonic plague – Black Death) • Language barriers
- 12. Marco Polo – traveled the Silk Road
- 13. Kingdom of God = Great Wealth 1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
- 14. Abraham also traveled a perilous journey Genesis 12:1 Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you.
- 16. Dangers of Traveling for Abraham • Robbery • Killed or injured by bandits • Thirst to death • Starve to death • Disease • Language barriers
- 17. God’s Promise to Abraham Genesis 12:2-3 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
- 18. Followers of Christ inherit the Promise Galatians 3:29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
- 19. The Kingdom of God is a Valuable Promise Matthew 13:44 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
- 20. The Kingdom of God is worth seeking Matthew 13:45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, 46 who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
- 21. A Pharisee named Saul Acts 9:1-2 Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
- 22. Saul the Pharisee was blinded by the light Acts 9:3-4 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. 4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
- 23. Saul the Pharisee was fighting the truth Acts 9:5 5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”
- 24. Saul the Pharisee cried out for help Acts 9:6 6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
- 25. Saul the Pharisee was stricken blind Acts 9:7-9 And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. 8 Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
- 26. Abraham was promised protection and a great reward Genesis 15:1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”
- 27. Dangers of Traveling to the Kingdom of God • Robbery • Killed or injured by bandits • Thirst to death • Starve to death • Disease • Language barriers
- 28. We have great value to God Luke 12:7 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. Luke 12:32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
- 29. The Journey may be difficult Luke 12:4 “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
- 30. Look beyond fear of the present Revelation 2:10 Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
- 31. The Bible emphasizes our Reward Matthew 5:12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
- 32. Faith plus Action = Rewards Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. James 2:18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
- 33. …
- 34. The Silk Road to the Kingdom of God © 2023 Tim Martens United Church of God-Northwest Arkansas
Editor's Notes
- During the silkworm’s life cycle, a female moth lays her eggs. After a few days, each egg in the silkworm larva eats mulberry plants.
- About 4,000 miles in length. Fraught with dangers
- Seeking mountain passes – blocked in the winter
- Long trails across dry deserts – merchants used camels because camels can go for a couple of days without water. Merchants learned to travel together to prevent raids from highway robbers.
- China built walls to prevent raids from Mongols on horseback. The raiders or highway robbers killed the merchants and stole their trade goods. The walls slowed down the highway robbers from striking the caravans.
- Some areas were swampy, the merchants had to either go a long ways around the swamps or they built boardwalks through the low places.
- Marco Polo – Venice Italy. Born in 1254 AD – at age 21 he went with his father and uncle on the Silk Road to China where they stayed for 17 years before returning to Europe with great wealth converted to gemstones. He later wrote “The Travels of Marco Polo” that wowed and amazed Europeans.
- Just as Europeans could not see China – they could only imagine the country that was over 4,000 to 5,000 miles away.
- Abraham’s travels =- From Ur of the Chaldes to the land of Canaan. There was no television, no Internet, no telephone, no picture books or slide shows to reveal what was in store for Abraham at his new destination.
- The implication here is that the man stumbled upon the treasure in the field. Have you ever found something that was a surprise to you? Some of us came upon the promises of the Kingdom of God by accident. It is only then that we began to realize what we had found. It was only then that we made the commitment to do whatever it takes to secure the valuable treasure.
- In this case, the merchant was actually seeking beautiful pearls – items of great value. It was not an accident – he was diligently searching. And he was overjoyed when he found the valuable prized pearl – symbolic of the truths of God that lead us to the Kingdom of God – and into God’s family.
- Following the death of Stephen, a Pharisee in Jerusalem was determined to go to Damascus and ferret out any Christians and bring them back as prisoners to Jerusalem.
- Following the death of Stephen, a Pharisee in Jerusalem was determined to go to Damascus and ferret out any Christians and bring them back as prisoners to Jerusalem.
- Saul was fighting the truth. Just as many people today are fighting acceptance of the truth. And when people fight the truths of God, they suffer the natural consequences – just as it hurts and horse or an oxen to kick back against the goads or pricks.
- Saul was shocked by this experience. He didn’t know what to do.
- Notice first of all that Saul did not travel alone. It was dangerous for anyone to travel alone. Plus, Saul intended to arrest the Christians and bring them back to Jerusalem. Interestingly, those men did not have the same blinding experience that Saul had. We now refer to someone who has a sudden awakening to the truth by saying that “He had a Road-to-Damascus experience.” This is quite different than Abraham’s willingness to follow God’s instruction and make the journey to a far land.
- The journey on the Silk Road to China was difficult. There were many hazards. Yet, the merchants who bravely who prepared well and traveled that road were richly rewarded for their efforts.
- We are not traveling the Silk Road to China. Our reward is not simply the soft, smooth fabric and the wealth created from such trading on the journey. Instead, we journey towards the Kingdom of God. We must prepare diligently knowing that when we do our part, God will provide us with protection and ultimately grant us the greatest reward – beyond even the imagination of mankind. We must make the best of our time for our journey to the Kingdom of God to be the most productive.