Title: “The Irresistible Power of the KOG” Script: Mt. 13:31-35
Type: Series KOG Parables Where: GNBC 2-11-24
Intro: Suppose someone asked you that question: What is the kingdom of God? How would you respond? The easy answer would be to note that a kingdom is that territory over which a king reigns. Since we understand that God is the Creator of all things, the extent of His realm must be the whole world. Manifestly, then, the kingdom of God is wherever God reigns, and since He reigns everywhere, the kingdom of God is everywhere. John Calvin said it is the task of the church to make the invisible kingdom visible. We do that by living in such a way that we bear witness to the reality of the kingship of Christ in our jobs, our families, our schools, and even our checkbooks, because God in Christ is King over every one of these spheres of life. The only way the kingdom of God is going to be manifest in this world before Christ comes is if we manifest it by the way we live as citizens of heaven and subjects of the King.
Prop: In Mt. 13:31-35 we’ll examine two more parables Christ told about the KOG.
BG: 1. Mt. 13 contains 8 parables. All relate to the KOG.
2. What is the KOG/KOH?
Prop: Let’s continue in Mt. 13 as we examine 2 more parable Xst told about the KOG.
I. The KOG is Nearly Imperceptible in its Start.
A. Jesus’ Next Two Parables Underscore this important point.
1. These are the parables of the Mustard Seed and Leaven.
a. What do I mean when I use the term “imperceptible”? Well, if one was to look in the dictionary the definition would be: “impossible to perceive or barely noticeable.” Example: “His head moved with an almost imperceptible nod.” As Jesus continues to teach in parables this is a point He is making about the KOG
b. Notice Christ keeps a continuity between the 1st and 2nd parables and now the 3rd. There are 3 catchwords Christ uses: sowing, seed, and field. These words provide a continuity where in the KOG is portrayed as a present reality. However, its presence is in secret form and that presence can be easily overlooked.
2. Let’s go back to the illustrations of the 2 parables to see how imperceptible both were.
a. In these two parables we see Jesus use a mustard seed and leaven to describe an aspect of the KOG. The mustard seed was the smallest of the agricultural seeds used at that time and in that region. Leaven also, is incredibly small and was common to everyone in that time and still today.
b. Illust – I want to be up front. I have read several well-known preachers and scholars who have a completely different interpretation on these passages than I do. Usually, these scholars come from either an extreme Dispensational view or strangely, from a Postmillennial view in which they say that the birds nesting in the branches are Satan’s messengers. They also say that yeast is always bad in the Bible and that the yeast in this passage represents the pervasive nature of evil - i.e. the way it spreads. and in my opinion do complete injustice to the principles of hermeneutics one uses in interpreting parables. They look at these passages an see in them the corrupting influence in the Church in the Church Age. In Biblical interpretation the plain teaching of the passage always takes precedence over a convoluted and forced interpretation based on my theological position.
B. The Beginnings of KOG was Imperceptible.
1. How was the Beginning of the KOG in the Church Imperceptible?
a. With the coming of Christ, the kingdom begins not in the coronation of a mighty king but in the birth of a crying baby. Yet as Jesus’ ministry begins in Mark, he announces, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). The KOG had come, but it was barely noticeable.
b. Illust – The start of the KOG may be imperceptible, but by God’s grace and by God’s power it grows. Here Jesus described the kingdom not just as a seed, but as the smallest seed. Jesus is not describing a kingdom that arrives in a blaze of glory—he is describing a kingdom that begins very small. This is not what the Jews expected, but this is the kingdom that Jesus said was near. The kingdom is a story about gradual growth. Kingdom growth. God’s growth! It grows as we advance the Gospel and as we tell men and women, boys and girls, about salvation in Christ. Forgiveness of sin and new life!
2. How is Your and My Introduction into the Faith somewhat Imperceptible?
a. As Christ continues telling His parables He is underscoring the fact that the KOG and its importance is imperceptible in it’s start. Illust: It was 1-6-1850. England was being hit with a blizzard unlike few others. In Colchester there was a 15 yrs old boy who was trudging up Hythe Hill on way to church service. Storm so fierce couldn’t go any further and turned down an alleyway for protection from the cold blast. There on the street was a tiny Primitive Meth Church. A barely literate cobbler used Is. 45:22 (“Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth.”) as his text. About 12 people were in attendance. However, the HS quickened the heart of that 15 yrs old boy. Charles Spurgeon, the greatest preacher of the 19th century was saved that day. What an imperceptible start to such an incredible and impactful ministry.
b. Christian, might I say that the same is true in each of our spiritual lives. We come to Christ by faith. We trust Him for our salvation and little things begin to change in our lives. Oh yes, sometimes there are seemingly tectonic shifts in the lives of some people. However, not in most. Yet, Phil. 1:6 – “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” You can be confident Christian…Kingdom work is God’s work!
C. Applic: The KOG may be Imperceptible in its origination…but we can be completely confident in it’s outcome.
II. The KOG is Often Inconspicuous.
A. Jesus’ 2 Parables use Elements that Are Almost Inconspicuous Because of Their Size.
1. How is the KOG Seen to Be Somewhat Inconspicuous? What do I mean when I say “Inconspicuous”? Again, looking at a dictionary, we read: “Not clearly visible or attracting attention. Not conspicuous. Might I say, there are a lot of dear saints in this congregation who operate under this principle. They give anonymous financial gifts, they do acts of service and kindness not wanting notice. Never looking for the limelight. They desire to remain inconspicuous.
2. Notice the 2 elements Jesus uses in these parables – mustard seed and leaven. Again, the mustard seed is tiny. Leaven, as any of you know who bake, is infinitesimal. Both were common elements, cheap, and not something of noticeable value.
B. The Start of the KOG Christ is saying here, is Inconspicuous.
1. Jesus is saying that the KOG has an inconspicuous beginning. It didn’t start in Rome, the epicenter of the known world at that time. Rather, it starts in a remote and troublesome backwater outpost of the Empire. It starts with a Carpenter who is an itinerant rabbi. It starts with that Carpenter recruiting a band of uneducated and somewhat emotionally unstable and not terribly influential individuals. It is inconspicuous…but it has begun!
2. Yeast or leaven was such a common ingredient in the homes of individuals in the time of Christ. It was used nearly every day by women then as it is nearly so today. As such it was common, so common, that it was inconspicuous. Illust: We use the idiom today that “Something is hidden in plain sight.” The phrase develop out of a military usage in the 1600’s . Illust: Fanny Price is the heroine in Jane Austen’s 1814 novel, Mansfield Park. 10 yrs. old Fanny Price is sent from her impoverished home in Portsmouth to live with the family at Mansfield Park. Lady Bertram is Fanny’s aunt and her four children – Tom, Edmund, Maria and Julia – are older than Fanny. All but Edmund mistreat her and her other aunt, Mrs Norris, wife of the clergyman at the Mansfield parsonage, makes herself particularly unpleasant. As the children grow into young adulthood the growing love between Fanny and Edmund is obvious to the reader, but to the oblivious Edmund, Fanny’s love is hidden in plain sight.
C. Illust: As Jesus was teaching His parabolic ministry, one of the reasons for the parables was so that His followers would know and understand. However, it was also so that those who rejected His message would continue to have the truth hidden from their understanding. (Mk. 4:10-12). So, you might say that the KOG was conspicuously inconspicuous!
III. The KOG is Inevitable in its Growth.
A. Although the Parable Demonstrate Contrast in Origination and Influence that Clearly Teach yet another Principle.
1. It is Impossible to Overlook in these Parables the Principle of the Growth of the KOG.
a. Illust: The mustard seed growing into a tree is not an overstatement by Jesus. In Palestine, the mustard seed (the smallest seed in that culture) did in fact grow to be ten or twelve feet tall. And birds could and did build nests in mustard tree branches. Jesus’ hearers would not have been “alerted” that something was wrong because nothing was wrong with what he was saying. It was true. Jesus is simply saying that what starts out small (with just Him and a few disciples) would grow to great proportions in a very short time. And in fact it did. So, that is the significance of the mustard seed illustration - rapid growth.
b. The same is true of the power of the leaven. The gradual and powerful fermentation of yeast/leaven made it a particularly appropriate metaphor to illustrate the power and growth of the KOG. Some scholars as previously said turn this parable on its head because of the use of “leaven”. They will make statements like: “Leaven or yeast is ALWAYS seen as representing evil in the OT.” Granted, MOST of the times in the OT leaven can be seen as representative of evil. However, Lev. 23:17 clearly states that the two loaves of the Wave Offering of the Feast of First Fruits was in fact to be made WITH leaven! And yes, although all leaven was to purged from a home at Passover (Ex. 12:15), it certainly did not have to be purged every day, and there is absolutely no indication in this parable that it is to be viewed as something evil here.
2. What is then Being Portrayed Here in these Parables?
a. What is being portrayed here is the dynamic power of the KOG! The leaven, although miniscule in amount, which is imperceptible and inconspicuous when mixed into the dough has an eventual, inevitable, irresistible, and astonishing effect on the whole lump of dough!
b. V. 33 – “hid” is the verb used in this passage. We would say “mixed”, but I like how the NASB translates as “hid”. Illust: The KOG is often “hidden” in a sense. A little over a year ago we were in Poland. I drove our family from Glowgow to Legnicia. Were looking for Mitch and Betsy’s church. Went down a street to what looked like Communist era housing. On the door of what looked like row of apartments were the words: “Kosciól Chrzescijan Baptystów w Legnica” Nearly hidden. Yet powerful things going on behind and outside of those doors as lives are being radically changed for the Gospel!
B. Growth of the KOG is Ultimately God’s Business.
1. The purpose of the parables
a. Both the parable of the Mustard Seed and the parable of the Leaven run parallel to one another. They reinforce each other. Both parables speak to what first appears to be insignificant and of no consequence, but which over time produces an astonishing and dramatic effect. Both the seed and the yeast, although unimpressive in their beginnings will have an effect that is completely out of proportion to those beginnings.
b. Illust: After about a year of living at our home our former neighbor had had his home flood two or three times due to the amount of water we had when there was a marsh behind our backyards. Very wet and his yard was lower. Two sump pumps couldn’t keep up with the water when were heavy Spring and Summer
rains. One weekend, Eric went home to his parent’s farm and came back with a bucketful of cut 2.5 – 3’ branches from what he called “Osh Trees”. Eric and I took long screw drivers and poked about 10” into the soft soil. Placed branches about 5 feet apart. In two years we had 15-20 ft. tall trees. Today, most of those trees are 40 ft. tall, and drink up the excess water from rains. You might say their growth and effect is completely out of proportion to their humble beginnings.
2. The illustration of the leaven may teach us two important truths in relation to the KOG.
a. First - it may mean that the kingdom is hidden -- like the leaven is invisible in the lump of dough. That would refer to the spiritual aspect of the kingdom that was begun with the arrival of Jesus. This is the case today. That’s often the case today. We Christians are hidden in various parts and places or society, but when led by the Spirit, we are exerting an influence unparalleled by any program the world has to offer.
b. Second - it may mean that the source of growth would be secret - an internal dynamic -- i.e. the HS, and that it would spread to the whole world (like it spread throughout the dough. That in fact did happen. By the end of Paul’s life, only 40 years after Christ spoke these words, the gospel had been taken to the end of the known world. I don’t think it has to mean that the whole world would be converted and the millennium brought in by the church. In fact, the first two parable of Mt. 13 would infer the direct opposite.
C. Applic. Illust: 1949 when the missionaries were kicked out of China at the violent takeover by the Communist Party, there were at most, about 100,000 evangelical believers out of a population of 542 million. Today, China’s population is roughly 1 billion (doubled), but the Church has an estimated 130 million evangelical believers! Although the population has doubled, the Church has grown 1300%!!! That growth is inevitable, because it is the work of Christ and Christ’s Kingdom will not be thwarted by politics, politicians, the moral perversion of society, or the persecution of pagans.
IV. The KOG is Inconceivable in its Influence.
A. The Kingdom of God is Inconceivable in its Ability to Influence, Convert, and Bring Change.
1. As Such the Power and Influence of the KOG is Inconceivable!
*Illust – I know some of you are wondering if I am going to quote from Vizzini in “The Princess Bride”. But alas I won’t. “Inconceivable!” In the passage, the Savior says that the mustard seed grows to be a “Tree” – 10-12 feet tall (You may say “That’s not a tree!” I would ask you, “Have you ever been to the Texas Hill Country? Mesquite! In the heat of summer you see the birds in the branches and the cattle taking refuge in the shade! Jesus says here that the birds take refuge. Contrast with beginnings. Where it would take a packet of mustard seed to fill the belly of a sparrow!
2. Look at the leaven in the parable. The amount the woman is baking would feed 100 people! How little leaven she throughs into the dough. (We are not to live separately but mix in the world.) Imagine the power in that leaven! The KOG is Inconceivable in its Ability to Change the World. Friend, you want to be a part of a world changing body? Go to Church! Join the Church! Be the Church!
3. The birds nesting in the branches are not Satan’s messengers as some Postmill. and radical Dispensationals would claim. They are Gentiles participating in the Kingdom of God. It is the fulfillment of the promise to Abraham that through his seed all the nations would be blessed. Hosea 14:7 talks about Israel as a tree with others being blessed by living in its shadows. Is this not what it says in Dan. 4:12? Of course it is.
B. The Message of the KOG is Inconceivable in its Ability to Change a Life.
1.What is the Scope of the KOG?
a. Does the KOG change cultures? Yes! Does it convert nations? Yes! Is there anything inherently evil in Christian nations acting….God forbid…Christian? No! Muslim countries and Buddhist countries and Hindu countries all act the way their religion dictates and NO ONE apologizes for that. The growth of the Church worldwide has been incredible. And in spite of what revisionist historians and cultural Marxist want to say, the Church has been the most powerful source for good history has even known.
b. Although the KOG should affect and influence the macro aspects of society, it only happens because the micro of society has been changed. What do I mean? The message of the KOG is the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The message of the Gospel is a message of salvation, of forgiveness of sin, of removal of guilt, of a judicial decree of righteousness, and of an indwelling of a Supernatural Agent (The Holy Spirit) to change your and my life from the inside out so as to radically change our orientation and our affections so as to no longer please ourselves and to rather, please our Savior!
2. Will You Let it Change Your Life?
a. Illust – Tom Bodel was born in Belfast and grew up during The Troubles. Although was an entrepreneur with a white-collar job, he had a secret, shadowy side to his life. Became involved in the underworld of Protestant Paramilitary violence in the 1970’s. Tom’s hatred and bitterness with Irish Republican violence led him to drink as life spiraled out of control in the early 80’s in the harsh grasp of alcoholism. Affected work, and his marriage and family. One evening after work Tom went into the notorious Crescent Bar in South Belfast to really tie one on in an attempt to anesthetize the effects of his hatred. What took place next was astounding. After a couple of hours drinking, as though by an unseen hand, Tom was compelled to go out into the cold and dark air of a Belfast Tuesday evening. He had walked a few blocks when heard singing coming from inside the walls of the Crescent Church. That evening he heard the words of one of Ulster’s most famous preachers, Derick Bingham preaching to hundreds of university students. His life was changed by an encounter with the living Christ! By the time I went to Ireland in 1989, Tom had begun studies to go into the ministry, and although older, was like me a student. Tom would serve the Church until his death in 2007.
b. Friend, I hope today that if you don’t know Christ you will pray right now to receive Him. You see, Christ inaugurated His Kingdom. Christ is the Kingdom. Christ declared the Kingdom. Christ demonstrated the Kingdom. Christ deploys the Kingdom. Christ transforms the Kingdom. Christ purchases the Kingdom. Christ concludes the Kingdom. And praise the Lord, very soon, Christ is coming for His Kingdom!
C. Applic: Will you join His kingdom today?
