FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
Text: Matthew 13:31-33
Scripture reading: Luke 13:18-21
INTRODUCTION
1. The largest man in the world starts out as a small baby.
a. The largest redwood trees in the world start out in a small seed.
b. The biggest ships on the sea start out as pencil lead being placed on a thin layer of paper.
c. The tallest of buildings are begun from a single spade of dirt.
d. All the greatest things known to man begin from the smallest of seeds.
2. From the smallest of beginnings come the greatest in life.
3. Even as I begin this lesson I am reminded of the words of William Punshon who said, "There are no trifles on the moral universe of God. Speak to me a word today; and it shall go ringing through the ages."
4. Small things make a big impact.
5. Today’s lesson will focus on how those small things will make that impact and the impact that those small things make.
6. We will examine two parables spoken by Jesus in consecutive order:
a. The parable of the mustard seed
b. And the parable of the leaven
7. These two parables discuss how something small can make a big difference.
8. We will look at them in this way:
a. First we will examine the parable in the light of the historic significance.
b. Next we will see the negative implications of the meaning of the parables.
c. Then we will see the positive implications of the meaning of the parables.
9. It is the aim of this lesson to help us all find ways to grow and to show us that we are influencing the lives of others.
TRANSITION: So what are these parables talking about?
I. The meaning of the parables.
A. We will begin with the parable of the mustard seed.
1. We discussed this some in the last lesson.
2. The mustard seed is the smallest seed that the gardener will plant.
a. There is not a seed smaller than the mustard seed (that would have been planted in first-century Palestine)
b. All the other seeds in the garden would be larger than the mustard.
3. Yet it grew into the largest plant in the garden.
a. It would be considered a tree.
b. The mustard plant would become large enough that it would have branches.
c. These branches would be large enough that birds could come and nest in them and take rest from their flight.
d. They grew to be around 10’ tall according to the literature I found.
4. From the smallest seed came the largest of plants.
5. Remember the 100 fold growth from the parable of the sower and the soil?
a. This individual growth is representative of the growth.
b. From the smallest to the largest.
c. It also represents growth of the church if you consider that all the birds can come and find rest in those branches.
d. You are helping others grow higher and get stronger and better.
B. Now let us look at the meaning of the leaven.
1. Leaven was not what it is today.
a. Today cooks can just reach up in the cupboard and get a package of yeast out to leaven their bread.
b. The women who cooked in those days did not have packs of yeast in a cupboard.
c. They used a leftover lump of dough from the last bread batch.
d. They mixed that into the new dough to leaven it.
2. The idea here is that a small handful of leaven works through a large amount of dough.
a. It is said that she measures out three measures or pecks of flour used to make her bread.
b. This is from a word that means about 13 liters.
c. The entire mixture would be around a bushel basket of dough.
d. About a handful of leftover leavened bread is mixed into this new batch and the whole thing is leavened.
e. I Corinthians 5:6, "Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?"
f. A small amount of influence goes a long way.
C. In each of these parables Jesus uses imagery with which the listeners would be familiar.
1. They would have seen women mixing dough.
a. Three measures was the common amount used.
b. The usual practice was to save a lump back in order to leaven the next lump of dough.
c. These were things the listeners knew.
2. They would have seen these mustard trees growing.
a. The mustard plant, due to its particular characteristics, would not have been in the garden with the rest of the plants grown.
b. The small size of the seed would have made its planting along with the other plants difficult.
c. Its unusual size would make it difficult to gage where to plant it so that other plants had opportunity to grow.
d. It was normally planted in open fields by itself.
e. These 10’-12’ trees were hard to miss in the middle of an open field.
f. People were no doubt familiar with the sight of birds feeding on the seeds of the tree and nesting in the branches of mustard trees.
3. He was conjuring up familiar objects to make strong points to these listeners.
D. We get two things from these parables.
1. Small things can become great.
a. The greatest works of art began with just a single stroke of the brush.
b. Great symphonies begin with a single note.
c. The most moving poems in the world are based on the same 26 letter alphabet.
d. The most important movement known to mankind began in a manger in Bethlehem.
2. To make that impact, the small thing must be used.
a. If the mustard seed is not planted, the tree never grows.
b. If the leavening lump is never mixed in the new dough is not leavened and is useless.
c. If Jesus does not come to the world, or decides not to finish what he started then man is lost.
d. If we do not continue his work on earth then men will be lost.
TRANSITION: What does this mean negatively?
II. Negative implications of this lesson.
A. We do have an impact on our surrounding.
1. Experts say that we must understand ourselves culturally
2. In culture we are involved in a social system.
a. We are influenced by our surrounding
b. And we influence our surrounding.
3. Every part of that culture impacts every other part of that culture.
4. We have an influence on others.
B. If our leaven is the leaven of the Pharisees then we are having the wrong impact on our culture.
1. Jesus warns of this in Mark 5:15.
2. Their leaven was hypocritical and led others away from God.
3. Make your leaven sincere and honest.
C. If our leaven is that of Herod then we leave the wrong impact on the world.
1. He represents the corruption of the world.
2. He would do anything for power.
3. His goal was to please other people regardless of the cost to the world and to others.
4. His leaven was weak and spineless and did not stand for anything other than himself and his own personal agenda.
D. When Paul said, "A little bit of leaven leavens the whole lump of dough" he included good leaven and bad leaven.
1. The bad leaven rots things
2. Bad leaven causes things to deteriorate and become putrefied and rotten.
3. If our leaven is like this then we are doing more harm than good because we are becoming Satan’s leaven.
E. If we do not stand for truth then we stand for error.
1. If we are more interested in self-preservation than world evangelism we are rotten leaven
2. If we are more concerned about things that make us happy than things that make God happy then we are rotten leaven.
3. If I indulge in pornography, fornication, lying, drunkenness, selfish ambitions, and/or anything else that competes with the extension of the boarders of God’s kingdom then we are rotten and are causing others to rot also.
4. We are impacting others.
a. Like it or not you have an influence on others.
b. If you are not setting the right example you are a rotten example and are not showing the love for others that is due them.
c. You are not living up to the example set for you by Jesus when he came to earth to show how much he loved us.
F. Even those who consider themselves as insignificant.
G. No man is so insignificant as to be sure his example can do no hurt.
H. Matthew 28:7, "Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to the man through whom the stumbling block come!"
TRANSITION: What are the positive implications of this lesson?
III. Positive implications of the lesson.
A. Rotten leaven causes rottenness.
B. But good leaven makes things better.
1. Just as salt can be unsavory and good salt preserves and enhances food (Matthew 5:13)
2. So leaven can be good for the bread.
3. If our example is what it should be then everyone whom we contact will be better.
C. People will find proper rest in us.
1. As we grow from small to larger we will develop strong branches.
2. People will be able to lean on us and rest with us and be made stronger themselves.
3. We will become towers of strength for others to draw on.
4. Our influence will teach others how to be closer to God.
D. No fountain is so small but that heaven can be imagined in its bosom.
E. No matter how small you feel, your continued growth in God’s word and grace will impact others.
1. In your life they can learn of Jesus
2. In your example they may find the way to heaven.
F. You have an influence on others. Use it for God’s purposes.
CONCLUSION:
1. It has been said, many times by me, that sometimes the only sermon others will hear is your life.
2. Your life most assuredly speaks louder than the words you say.
3. Are you leaven of God or the Pharisees?
4. Does your example help others grow or does it leave them seeking shelter elsewhere?
5. Do you stand towering over the world as a source of strength in the gospel or are you content to stay small and not grow?
6. Your decisions are noticed by those around you.
7. The kingdom of God is depending on your positive example.
8. Those outside the kingdom of God who need in are depending on your positive example.
9. Be leaven that helps others grow. Grow through God’s nutrients into a tower of strength and let everyone know on which side you stand.
10. The serene, silent beauty of a holy life is the most powerful influence in the world, next to the might of the Spirit of God.
–C. H. Spurgeon
11. Be a Christian.
