Over the past few weeks we have spent a great deal of time discovering truths about the Kingdom of Jesus. We have discovered that it lives within us and empowers us to do great things for him. We have discovered that we are to co-exist in a world filled with sinners and influence them without allowing them to influence us.
Psalm 78: 1-2 “O my people, listen to my instructions.
Open your ears to what I am saying, for I will speak to you in a parable. I will teach you hidden lessons from our past—” We discovered that we have been given the privilege of learning the hidden secrets of the Kingdom but were warned that if we did not heed these instructions, we could lose what knowledge we have.
Today we will discover the truth about the growth of the Kingdom. Let’s begin with Matthew 13:33. “Jesus also used this illustration: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.”
To understand this parable we must first understand what yeast is and how it works. Yeast is a tiny plant-like microorganism that exists all around us - in soil, on plants and even in the air. It has existed for so long, it is referred to as ‘the oldest plant cultivated by man’. So our first conclusion is the Kingdom exists all around us and has for a very long time. That’s agreed upon.
The main purpose of yeast is to serve as a catalyst in the process of fermentation, which is essential in the making of bread. What is fermentation? The answer is “Any of a group of chemical reactions induced by living or nonliving ferments that split complex organic compounds into relatively simple substances.” So our second conclusion is that the Kingdom serves as a way to take something that seems complex and make it simple. We are to present the Gospel in a simple way as to be understood by everyone. Jesus said “The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” (John 6:33) We know that He is speaking of himself in this passage but when He returned to his Father, He left the Kingdom in our hands. We now represent the One who “comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” We represent the bread of life to those who are lost.
Yeast feeds on the starches in flour, producing carbon dioxide
The carbon dioxide expands the gluten proteins in the flour
The gluten proteins cause the dough (of which flour is a main ingredient) to expand and rise. Our third conclusion is without yeast the bread stays flat. The yeast interacts with the flour to cause a chain reaction that result in fresh bread. The Kingdom must interact with the world to produce growth in the Kingdom. Notice the scripture said “she put in only a little yeast” but it impacted the entire batch of dough.
There is the revelation. You do not have to be a world known evangelist. You don’t have to be a pastor of a mega-church. You don’t have to have a weekly television spot. You only have to be that small influence of the Kingdom in the arena you have been placed in.
I remember when there was a local bakery that had a plant by a major interstate. You could drive by that location at 65 mph and still smell that aroma of fresh baked bread. Ephesians 5:2 tells us to “Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.” When we do our small part for the advancement of the Kingdom of Jesus, there is an aroma that reaches the nostrils of God and He breathes it in.
My wife use to make something called “friendship bread.” It was a recipe for sourdough-type bread that you had to feed and it would grow. The recipe begins with a mixture of yeast, water, flour, sugar, and milk. You stir this mixture for three days then add more flour, sugar, and milk. You stir this mixture again for 4 days then add more flour, sugar, and milk. From this mixture you remove one cup to make some bread and give two cups to a friend along with the recipe. You take the remaining cup and start the process over again.
As I looked over this recipe I noticed that you added a lot of flour, sugar, and milk. However, you only added yeast at the beginning. This recipe could continue for years if you had enough friends but that one dose of yeast is all that was needed. When you mix yourself into the world like yeast and cause positive reactions to those with whom you come into contact, you might never know how that will grow from person to person. One sinner saved leading another sinner to be saved because you were yeast.
Matthew 13:31-32 “Here is another illustration Jesus used: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches.”
The plant referred to here is generally considered to be black mustard, a large annual plant that grew up to 9 feet tall, but growing from a proverbially small seed. However, there is a problem with this parable that would have confused the listeners. The plant is spindly and cannot support enough weight for a nest. Jesus though was referring to an ancient prophecy found in Ezekiel 17:22-24. The Pharisees would have probably understood this.
“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will take a branch from the top of a tall cedar, and I will plant it on the top of Israel’s highest mountain. It will become a majestic cedar, sending forth its branches and producing seed. Birds of every sort will nest in it, finding shelter in the shade of its branches. And all the trees will know that it is I, the Lord, who cuts the tall tree down and makes the short tree grow tall. It is I who makes the green tree wither and gives the dead tree new life. I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do what I said!”
The Kingdom would start as a branch, “a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root.” (Isaiah 11:1) And the branches of the new tree will invite birds of every sort, people of every race and creed, to live there and to find comfort there. And all the other trees, all the other religions, will know of the one true God because He will make the greatest, his only Son, to become the least. And He will take his life from him so that He can give him new life. And He guaranteed it. We are to represent that tree. We are to offer a place for all types, regardless of their sins, to find rest and comfort. We are to be a tree that on our own cannot support this weight but through the Holy Spirit we can.
Pliny the Elder, in his Natural History (published around AD 78) writes that "mustard… is extremely beneficial for the health. It grows entirely wild, though it is improved by being transplanted: but on the other hand when it has once been sown it is scarcely possible to get the place free of it, as the seed when it falls germinates at once."
What a great picture of the church. The church is to be beneficial through the Kingdom being transplanted into our hearts. And the kingdom of sin, no matter how hard it tries, cannot get the world free of it. We just won’t go away. If we will go out and plant the seeds of the Kingdom that will germinate at once.
Now this does not necessarily mean instant results. Look at Mark 4:26-28 “Jesus also said, “The Kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, while he’s asleep or awake, the seed sprouts and grows, but he does not understand how it happens. The earth produces the crops on its own. First a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and finally the grain ripens.” The Kingdom seeds you plant will take time to grow. We are not responsible for the growth in a garden. We plant and we water, but it’s produced by the soil. We plant and we water, but the growth comes from our Lord. But we must plant.
Some of you may be thinking I am not a farmer. I know nothing about planting. I do not have a green thumb. I do not know how to witness to others. I am not capable of sharing my testimony. I am not an evangelist or a preacher. I’ll just get tongue tied and blow it. Or they may ask a question that I cannot answer.
Hear Jesus’ response to that. Matthew 11:11 “I tell you the truth, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is!
John the Baptist was greater than Moses, greater than Abraham, greater than King David, greater than all the prophets before him. Today I can declare that I am greater than John the Baptist. Jesus said it and said “I tell you the truth.” You can declare that you are greater than John the Baptist. You, sitting on the back row, are greater than John the Baptist. You, who feel unworthy, are greater than John the Baptist. You, who believe that God could never find you of service, are greater than John the Baptist. Why? Because you, unlike John the Baptist and all of those before him, have the Kingdom of Jesus residing inside of your heart.
Jesus paid a price for us to have that privilege. He paid with his life. Listen to how the Apostle Paul said it. 1 Corinthians 15:3-10 “I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him. For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church. But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace.”
Did you hear what Paul said? “God poured out his special favor on me.” Do you understand He did the same for you? Paul said “and not without results.” Can you make that claim? Have you taken advantage of all what the death and resurrection of Jesus offers?
Let me hit you with some fast scripture. Romans 14:17
“For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Kingdom living is not about rules and regulations. It’s about living a good, peaceful, joy-filled life in the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 4:20 “For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power.” Kingdom living is not a lot of empty promises and trying to do things on your own. It’s about living by the power supplied to you by God.
Jesus said in Matthew 16:19 “And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.” We have the keys to the Kingdom hidden in parables for us to seek out and understand. What ever we forbid in our life, we have the power of the Kingdom behind it. What ever we permit in our life, we have the power of the Kingdom behind it. If we want to go through life on this earth defeated, sad, and down-trodden, God will permit it. If we want to forbid the enemy from stealing our joy, peace, and comfort, God will stand behind us. We have the power of choice. It was given to us by Jesus. The question is “What will you do with it?”
This series has made me stop and look at the Kingdom of God in a new light. I want you to do the same. Take some time to find all the examples of the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven. Ask yourself this question, “How does this apply to my life? How can I live this example of the Kingdom?” Ask for the Holy Spirit to reveal truths to you and trust He will. This year become something new, become something exciting. Be resurrected.
