From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subject to violence, and the violent lay claim to it.From the days of John the Baptizer until now, the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and men of violence take it by force.
3 sermons cite this verse
I just need you to see it. Matthew chapter 11 verse 12, it's telling us that we got to live offensively. It says, and since John the Baptist began preaching until now, everybody say until now, right now, this day that you're watching this, until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advanced and violent people are attacking hell's gates. I'm tired of punk Christians who are not answering the call of being a minister where you are right now. God says I don't have to move no pastor into entertainment because you're there. I don't have to get somebody in the financial institution because a minister's already there. But you got to own it and live offensively. So what are you talking about? Well, then how do I have the keys? Matthew chapter 16, verse 19. I love it. He says, and I will give you the keys to the kingdom. And whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven. And whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. …
This is why it's difficult, because it's a complete surrender. In fact, in Matthew 11, verse 12, there's a most interesting statement. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and And violent men take it by force. It's not so easy. It's not so easy. In Luke chapter 13, listen to verse 24, "'Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.'" with great difficulty that you enter. There's a certain violence to it as you have to be separated from everything that was important to you. Listen to Luke 16, 16. The law and the prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it. The people who come into the kingdom come because they are desperate. so desperate they are willing to abandon themselves. They're willing to confess Jesus as Lord and themselves as His slaves. …
2. These earnest prayers and strong cries of Christ to the Father in his agony, show the greatness of his love to sinners. For, as has been shown, these strong cries of Jesus Christ were what he offered up to God as a public person, in the capacity of high priest, and in the behalf of those whose priest he was. then he offered up his sacrifice for sinners whom he had loved from eternity, he withal offered up earnest prayers. His strong cries, his tears, and his blood, were all offered up together to God, and they were all offered up for the same end, for the glory of God in the salvation of the elect. They were all offered up for the same persons, viz. for his people. For them he shed his blood in that bloody sweat, when it fell down in clotted lumps to the ground; and for them he so earnestly cried to God at the same time. It was that the will of God might be done in the success of his sufferings, in the success of that blood, in the salvation of those for whom that blood was shed, and therefore this strong crying shows his strong love; it shows how greatly he desired the salvation of sinners. He cried to God that he might not sink and fail in that great undertaking, because if he did so, sinners could not be saved, but all must perish. He prayed that he might get the victory over death, because if he did not get the victory, his people could never obtain that victory, and they can conquer no otherwise than by his conquest. If the Captain of our salvation had not conquered in this sore conflict, none of us could have conquered, but we must have all sunk with him. He cried to God that he might be saved from death, and if he had not been saved from death in his resurrection, none of us could ever have been saved from death. It was a great sight to see Christ in that great conflict that he was in in his agony, but every thing in it was from love, that strong love that was in his heart. His tears that flowed from his eyes were from love; his great sweat was from love; his ‘blood, his prostrating himself on the ground before the Father, was from love; his earnest crying to God was from the strength and ardency of his love. It is looked upon as one principal way wherein true love and good will is shown in Christian friends one towards another, heartily to pray one for another; and it is one way wherein Christ directs us to show our love to our enemies, even praying for them. Matt. v. 44. “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” But was there ever any prayer that manifested love to enemies to such a degree, as those strong cries and tears of the Son of God for the success of his blood in the salvation of his enemies; the strife and conflict of whose soul in prayer was such as to produce his agony and his bloody sweat? …