Kingdom Of God: Planted Mustard Seed Series

The Kingdom of god: Planted Mustard Seed

Theme:

Text: Luke 13:18 -19

Opening Text:

Review

Last Sunday we established the importance of the message of the Kingdom of God. John preached it like a mad man. Just like the prophets of old. Jesus’ first message was to draw attention to the Kingdom of God. It was what he emphasized for 40 days teaching those in the upper room.

We also established the fact that the kingdom of God is bigger that what we assume. We learned that being “born again” is not the kingdom. But to be able to see the kingdom of God you must be born again, John 3:3

We said that the kingdom of God is not heaven. Heaven is part of the kingdom.

The biggest thing is asking God’s kingdom come and God’s will be done no matter what that means.

Jeremiah

Sometimes I feel like Jeremiah the prophet. God had called him to prophesy to the land. The invasion was coming. He told him “go buy some land and then get invaded but I am coming back”. God told him to surrender to the ways of the Babylonians so His purpose could be done.

I want us to have men and women of God in office who follow God’s will. I want us to pass laws to protect the unborn. I want us to be in a nation that reflects our values. But bigger than that is I want, “God’s will be done, God’s kingdom come.

There is a bigger agenda here that goes beyond this country. We are focused on a better land.

Jesus used ____ parables in scriptures to describe the kingdom of God (or heaven).

Luke 13:18-19 Then He said, "What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? (19) It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches."

This is an interesting parable on the kingdom. A couple things we notice.

1) The seed is small yet when planted it grows into a large healthy tree.

I was praying this morning. Sometimes it doesen’t seem like God is “doing” much. But He takes the smallest things and turn them into something big.

2) The seed was planted by a farmer (God) into his own garden. God has a plan and a purpose.

3) The birds of the air nested. Why? They felt the kingdom as being a place of shelter, hope, peace and assurance.

4) The branches extended out.

To me this is an important part. To see the roles that are played in the kingdom. Although the church is not the kingdom it plays a major part in the kingdom.

Last week we also established that the kingdom is not the church. But the church plays a vital role in the kingdom. The church was first established by Jesus in Matthew 18.

Matthew 16:13-20 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" (14) So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." (15) He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" (16) Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." (17) Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. (18) And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. (19) And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed [78] in heaven." (20) Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.

The church, the Ekklesia – the called out ones.

I am not going to spend a whole lot of time in the overall passage because we just spent a whole sermon back in June. But I want to point out one peace that shows us how vital the church is to the kingdom and that is the word keys.

Although keys have been around for 1000’s years before this they really hit their purpose and usefulness in the Roman kingdom. Here they were made of metal in stead of wood. They had these intricate designs that we call “skeleton keys” and they were easy to carry.

They were signs of authority. When you have the keys, you have the authority.