The Hidden Kingdom
Series: Markers Along the Narrow Way
December 2, 2012
Formerly: Mustard Field of Dreams, Series: Stories Hollywood Missed, December 11, 2005
READ Mark 4:21-34 with me… (READ) Last week Jesus told a parable about 4 types of soil…each of us is one of them…but you have to “dig deep” to understand them…(Get it? BAD PUN). Hard, Rocky, Thorny or Good. Parables are meant to reveal who God is and what He’s up to. Jesus says they’re like a lamp. You don’t hide it under the bed…you put it on a lampstand. With that, he launches into another couple of parables…using SEEDS to illustrate what what God’s Kingdom is all about and how it works.
Jesus used the mustard seed to illustrate what I call “The Miracle of Small Beginnings’. In Jesus’ day, the mustard seed was used to symbolize anything that was infinitesimally small. The point of this parable is pretty simple and clear…i.e. that given time, the smallest of seeds can grow into the largest of herbs. Mustard plants can grow to about 7 or 8 feet high, and it’s branches are more like a tree, than an herb. Now this is a great parable to look at when you’re discouraged about where you are in life…because it’s chocked full of hope. And hope is what the disciples needed when Jesus told this story. Early in Jesus’ ministry, it looked like He was the next ‘rising star’! John the Baptist was a big hit with the crowds, but he predicted that Jesus would be even bigger! He told them that he wasn’t even worthy to untie his sandals, that someone was greater than even he was, and that he would do even greater miracles. John predicted that he would decrease, the one after him would increase (READ John 3:30)
For a while at least, that prediction was coming true. Huge crowds followed Jesus wherever He went. Large numbers of people were getting healed. It was exciting! More and more people showed up every week. The disciples came to believe (and expect) that this ‘Jesus Movement’ would culminate in a overthrow of the Roman government. Jesus would be their new king, and they would be his top officials.
But then, bit by bit… the opposition increased. The crowds started to thin…and Jesus was the one doing the thinning! He was making these strong challenges, telling people to die to deny themselves of die in their sin! They were thinking… “Jesus, lay off a little buddy! You might offend somebody!” It was becoming increasingly clear that the movement (that started with such promise) was losing steam and heading for disaster. An attendance chart of Christ’s ministry would have shown a statistical DECLINE over time. On our district, every year there’s an awards ceremony where pastor’s receive “chocolate truffles” if increase in attendance… Jesus wouldn’t have gotten any truffles!
They’d hoped for so much, and now they saw it all slipping out of their reach. The disciples were beginning to wonder if they’d hooked their wagons to a falling star. Their high hopes were turning into discouraging disappointments. Do you think Jesus was discouraged? Possibly. We know his disciples were. Did he quit. Not until He died. Was He a failure? Absolutely not! But they thought he was. As a result, his disciples were confused, doubting, bewildered. So Jesus tells them this parable to help them understand that even though the beginnings might be small…that wasn’t the end of the story. How many of you would agree that…appearances aren’t always truth. Maybe you’re feeling the same way. Maybe you’ve had some set-backs recently...You started something, but now you don’t know if you can finish it.
• You invested money in a business, and it’s not panning out like you thought it would.
• Maybe you bought some furniture or a new car, and now the payments are coming due.
• You started a relationship with high hopes and excitement, but now the feelings are gone.
Regardless of the discouraging situation you find yourself in, I think Jesus’ parable of the mustard seed can help. So this morning I want to give you “4 Short Truths About Small Things”…from the parable of the mustard seed. And the 1st short truth is this…
1. Bigger isn’t necessarily BETTER
Again…the mustard seed was used to symbolize anything that was infinitesimally small. We live in an age that worships size and numbers. In America, it’s assumed that the bigger something is… the better it is. We want BIG Macs, bigger cars, bigger government. We think that the bigger the church, the better the church. But none of those statements are necessarily true. Smallness doesn’t equal insignificance… and bigness doesn’t necessarily mean importance.
About 20 years ago we planted a church in Scottsdale, AZ.. And I don’t know it you know anything about Scottsdale or not, but it’s a very affluent community, where ‘success’ was king. (SNOTS-dale). Everyone drove around in Beemers and Mercedes…we had an old Dodge Minivan. It was a total mismatch in more ways than you can count! It was all about “who you knew” and “how much you had”. Ironically, God called us to start a church there, and we didn’t have either one… (we didn’t have any people, and we didn’t have much money). As a result, over and over, people would come into our little church and ask, “Where is everybody?” Over and over I’d say, “Well, if you’d stay, we’d have a few more!” But that wasn’t what they were looking for… they were looking for a church that would match (maybe even enhance) their image of success! To them bigger WAS better! Vision meant nothing. Now obviously, BETTER can lead to bigger. But just because you’re big, doesn’t mean you’re superior to the little guy!
Rick Warren writes in his book, “The Purpose Driven Church” that, “Success is not being larger than some other church; it’s bearing as much fruit as possible given your gifts, opportunities and potential”. See Christ doesn’t expect us to produce MORE than we can, but He does expect us to produce ALL that we can (by His power working in us). Which is a lot more than most of us think is even possible!
We need to stop thinking of ourselves as "just one person". Think of all the times God used one person to change the world…(Abraham, Noah, Paul, Martin Luther, Abe Lincoln, Mother Teresa) and countless others along the way. We are one person in the hands of an Almighty God! So, don't sell yourself short! Who knows what God might be doing through you? We can’t think of ourselves as “a small, insignificant church”. But according to this parable, God is able to use the smallest seed to make eternal impact. He’s able to take the most unlikely people (or group of people) to bring about the most astounding results. In I Cor. I:26-31 (GN) the Apostle Paul writes… (READ) According to that vs. …(explain)
We belong to the God who made the universe! His resources are inexhaustible. His ability is unmatched. He can use us to change the world! So, it’s time to stop looking at our size and importance… and instead start looking at HIS size and importance! We need to stop asking what we’re able to do, and start imagining what God can do in and through us. Maybe you feel small and unimportant this morning… that your contribution is insignificant. Jesus is encouraging us to stop looking at our size, our talents and our qualifications, and instead look at the potential He’s put into us. As small & insignificant as we see ourselves, God can use us to change our world.
Which leads to the 2nd short truth about small things..
2. Large movements start with a COMMITTED FEW.
The mustard seed may be small, but when you put it in the ground, you put ALL of it in the ground! It gives all it has! Think about the small seed that Jesus started with. He had twelve common men who became his disciples. Who would have thought that God would use this group of fisherman, tax-collectors and assorted misfits to change the world? At the end of Christ’s ministry, Acts tells us that there were only 120 people who really could be called followers of Christ. Talk about depressing! With that little group, they were expected to change the world? But that’s exactly what happened! They were ordinary men & women…but when ordinary people put their faith in and extraordinary God…amazing things happen.
The bible says in Zech.4:10, not to ‘despise the day of small beginnings”. In otherwords, don’t shrug off something that starts off “small” as something that’s insignificant. But yet that’s exactly what we do! The truth is…the greatest things always start from small beginnings.
• Did you know that all the music ever written comes from 8 notes? Every hymn, every song, every symphony ever written came from 8 small notes.
• In the English language, every novel, every poem, the Declaration of Independence (that has freed millions around the world with it’s influence)…is based on just 26 letters of the alphabet!
On Dec.11th 1620, a ship called the “Mayflower” set sail from England to America because her passengers couldn’t find religious freedom. On that ship there were only 101 people, and she was a tiny thing. But the fact is, that little insignificant ship did more to change the world than all of the voyages of all the great ocean liners combined. The lesson is this… Don’t be discouraged by small beginnings!
Ru and I have planted 3 churches, so we’ve had to learn that lesson the hard way… I’ve had plenty of small beginnings to be discouraged by!
“You Might Be a Church Planter If…
• a quartet and congregational singing are synonymous
• You might be a church planter, if the church treasurer has ever suggested ways you personally could save the church money.
• You can’t have a church softball team
It is easy for someone to conclude that a little mustard seed wouldn't be able to accomplish much of anything. But they would be wrong. It would be easy for you to think that the little seeds you plant in life aren't going to do anything…but you would be wrong!
• you may think the small class you teach isn't worth your time.
• you may think that your small amount in the offering plate can't do much
• you may believe that your visits to your sick friend isn't accomplishing anything
• you may think that your short, simple prayer is no big deal…
• you may think that because you don’t know a lot about the bible, disqualifies you to share with others
• you may think that the little seeds you plant in your friends heart about Jesus is falling on deaf ears
And if you think that way in any of those situations… you would be wrong!
• You don't know what God is going to do through your faithfulness!
• You don't know how many people are going to be impacted simply because you were faithful in the little things of life.
• You don't know who’s watching or listening.
• You don't know what God is doing through the seed you plant.
By the way…"If you think you’re too small to be effective, you’ve never been in bed with a mosquito."
But there’s a 3rd short truth Jesus wants us to understand from this parable…
3. Great possibilities come in SMALL PACKAGES
Jesus tells us in vs. 31,32, that even though the mustard seed is the smallest seed in the garden… when you plant it, it takes off! It grows and becomes the largest plant in the garden. Now, what makes it grow? Who causes the seed to grow? Can man? No! Only God! In the vs.above that, Mark 4:28 Jesus tells us that seeds grow and spout “all by themselves”. The grk. word is lit. “automatically.” It’s what church growth experts have called the “All By Itself Principle”. God has a part, and WE have a part in the growth of His kingdom. Our job is to prepare the soil, (by praying, committing ourselves, learning and using our gifts). But after we do that and the seed is put in the soil…God does the rest!
Growing a church is a partnership between God and man. Paul said in I Cor.3:6,9 (LB)… “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow… we are God’s fellow workers.” According to that vs. we’re working alongside God to build His church. Churches grow by the power of God working through the skilled effort and commitment of his people. And both have to be present. We can’t do it without God, and God WON’T do it without us. Did you catch that?
It's not the size of the seed, but what happens when the seed is planted that makes all the difference! Every seed has explosive power! We have a vision as a church to reach the unchurched in this community. That’s a seed! Very few churches are doing it, because it’s easier to attract the “Already Convinced” than it is to try and reach the “I’m Really Not Interested”. (There are setbacks…because a lot of unsaved people are like the rocky soil. They hear, and get excited…but then quickly fall away). But yet, it’s is a ‘seed’ that has incredible potential and power, because 98% of people in this community fall into that category! But we have to do our part! (develop relationships, invite etc.)
Which leads to the 4th short truth about small things…
4. The smallest steps leave the BIGGEST IMPRINTS
The disciples couldn’t have listened to this parable without at some point figuring out that THEY were the “small beginning” Jesus was talking about! They were the seed that were to be planted in the soil! They couldn’t begin to realize the kind of impact their lives would have, when they invested them for the truth of the gospel. And neither can we!
The bible shows great respect for the small, subtle, unspectacular 1st step. Personally, I can’t think of anything more boring than putting money in the bank. If you’ve ever put some money in the bank, you know that nobody really cares. The bank teller doesn’t ring a bell, neon lights don’t begin to flash…nothing really happens. But over time, that little bit of money grows and eventually can fund your retirement. It’s called “The Miracle of Compounding Interest”. And it works the same way in the spiritual world. Little unnoticed steps now, pay off big dividends over the long haul. Think of the tiny steps you’ve taken that in time reaped a huge harvest.
• An awkward first visit to a church, which led to you meeting the Savior of your soul!
• A hesitant phone call to inquire about a job that eventually led to a career.
• A business venture begun with a small investment that succeeded far beyond your expectations.
• A book, picked up in a time of discouragement, which inspired you and gave you the motivation to pursue your dream.
• A reconciled relationship, that began with a simple request for forgiveness.
I was thinking about the decision I made to go forward at a church service and give my life to Christ and the difference it made…school, wife, ministry, kids…EVERYTHING turned on that one little decision. (works the other way too!) When we look back, we thank God that we took that small step. There was greatness in that moment of the small beginning. And then we think…
• What if I hadn’t taken that step?
• What if I hadn’t gone to church that day when my friend invited me?
• What if I hadn’t read that verse in the bible?
• What if I hadn’t obeyed God when He told me to?”
With that in mind, let me give you 4 small steps that you need to take that will lead to a great influence in the future…
1. Persistence
Nothing of any consequence ever happens without persistence. The mustard seed doesn’t sprout and grow to full length overnight…it takes time and effort. The farmer plants…and waits! Too many times we give up before God has a chance to bring about the growth. When God wants to make a mushroom, it takes about 6 hours. But when He wants to build an oak tree He takes 60 years! Which one do you want to be… a mushroom or an oak tree? I’ve always viewed the building of Summit Church as a lifetime task. It takes time to build commitment, it takes time to develop quality, it takes time to take people fresh out of the world and teach them how to live and act like Jesus! Solid stable churches aren’t built in a day. That’s why we have to be persistent and never give up!
The 2nd step great influencers take is the step of…
2. Sacrifice
Whatever small step God is asking you to make… it’s going to take sacrifice. Jesus said in John 12:24… “I tell you the truth, a grain of wheat must fall to the ground and die to make many seeds. But if it never dies, it remains only a single seed”. According to Jesus we all have incredible potential hidden in our personalities. Like a small kernel of wheat, we’re designed for greatness…but unless that kernel of wheat falls into the ground and is buried…and DIES…the power locked up inside will never be released. In otherwords, we have to give up our lives if we’re ever going to gain it. The reason Jesus was so effective and influential was that He didn’t have to survive! He gave himself away, and so He wasn’t trying to please anybody, or make anybody happy…He was on a mission for God and Him alone. It’s hard to stop someone like that! NO leverage! Non-survivors have an ‘all or nothing attitude’ and as a result change people, nations and generations. Before you can accomplish anything great for God, the issue of survival has to be dealt with in your life. Who will you live for? Yourself or God? Non-survivors make eternal differences on the lives of people around them.
3. Faith (risk)
Hebrews 11 is full of people who took the risk of faith and made an eternal difference! If you’re one of those people who insist on having all the answers, and solving all the problems before you ever make a decision…you’ll never know the thrill of living by faith. Not only that…you’ll never make much of an influence with your life! ‘Mustard seed people’ live by faith! They trust a perfect God to use imperfect people, in imperfect situations to accomplish His will. They’ve learned that wherever God guides… He provides! Whatever he calls you to do, He’ll enable and equip you to do. But it takes stepping out in faith to ever find that out!
The 4th step that change-agents take that other people don’t is…
4. Action
The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. It’s the smallest of seeds, but when it grows up… it’s the biggest of all plants. Jesus says that, “Even the birds will come and make their nests in it’s branches.” And again, Jesus was right! His movement wasn’t dying… it was just getting planted! What started out as a little tag-rag band of 12 brothers, has now spread out it’s branches and has given peace and safety to millions on ever continent! It’s changed history! Today, Christianity is the world’s fastest growing religion. Over 70,000 people around the world receive Christ everyday! From 1600 to 3500 churches are opening every week around the world! (Not even McDonalds can keep up with that kind of explosive growth!) In A.D. 100 there were 360 non-Christians for every Christian. In 1989, (even though there are now 6 billion people in the world), there are only 7 non-Christians for every Christian. Evangelical Christianity now numbers 500 million strong and growing exponentially. Jesus was right, when that little seed grows up, it becomes the BIGGEST of all plants!
I wouldn't be surprised if there was someone here today who thinks that they’re so insignificant, or so small, or so weak, or so bad, that God would never notice, care about, or use you. But God does see you. God loves you. And Christ died for you.
In this whole enormous universe we’re just one piece of dust, but God knows my name. God knows YOUR name. He cares about our heartaches, and He knows that there’s incredible potential in each of us. Jesus was thinking of you and me when He went to the cross. To the rest of the world we may be nobodies . . . but to God we were so valuable that He sent His Son to set us free.
Are you a ‘mustard seed Christian”? If you are… God has given you incredible potential, but you’ve gotta get out & plant yourself in the world! Don’t worry about your small beginning…that’s how the kingdom works! You’ve gotta take a step of faith! You’ve gotta be willing to sacrifice yourself, and you’ve gotta be willing to do it over a long period of time, if you want to make a difference!
Become Christ follower today?
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