MELVIN NEWLAND, MINISTER
CENTRAL CHRISTIAN, BROWNSVILLE, TX
ILL. I don’t know if you saw it or not, but last year there was a talk show in which the guest was contrasting the deaths of Princess Diana & Mother Theresa. One of her comments was, “I believe Princess Diana was really sincere in her effort to help the poor, but Mother Theresa had a political agenda behind her good works.”
The talk-show host replied, “Surely you mean that the other way around.” The guest answered, “No, I really believe Princess Diana genuinely cared about poor folks & really wanted to help them. But Mother Theresa was only trying to promote her agenda of anti-abortion & anti-divorce.”
Now what in the world caused that guest to have such a strange view of the life & character of Mother Theresa? Maybe someone needed to remind her that it was Mother Theresa, not Diana, who left her comfortable surroundings many years ago to live with the poor & minister to them even when the TV cameras were not there for anyone to see. And since when has abortion & divorce become simply political issues, & not moral ones?
A. But that guest reflects the thinking of many in today’s world. Society basically says, “It’s okay for you to be a Christian. We live in the United States of America. If you want to be a Christian, that’s fine. Go to your church. Worship God. But don’t try to foist your beliefs on any of us.”
1. That attitude is obvious in the political arena. People will accept that we’re a free country. But when hundreds of thousands of Promise Keepers gather on the Mall in Washington, D.C., & seek to impact the political thinking of our country, then there is great alarm. And you hear things like, “You just can’t mix religion & politics. We have to have separation of church & state.” You see, Christians are to be seen, but not heard.
2. The same thing is true in the area of education. Schools will accept your volunteer work as you help with fund-raising & extra-curricular activities & athletic events. But if you stand up & say, “I think we ought to teach Creationism as an alternative to evolution; or that we ought to teach abstinence instead of just ‘safe sex,’” then you’ll hear the words, “Christians ought to be seen, but not heard.”
3. An employer may appreciate that you’re a person of integrity, that your work ethic is good, that you’re dependable because you’re a Christian. But if you refuse to lie to protect the boss, or if you object to some unethical practices in the business, or if you seek to express your faith openly with your co-workers, you’ll hear statements like, “Well, business is business, & religion is religion, & we need to keep them separate.” Christians ought to be seen, but they should not be heard.
B. Now that is not a new idea. It goes all the way back to the beginning of Christianity. For example, turn with me to the Book of Acts, chapter 4, beginning with vs. 16.
Here is the setting. The beginning of the church on the Day of Pentecost is recorded in the 2nd chapter of Acts, & 3,000 were added to the church on that day. Now we come to the 4th chapter & the church is beginning to have an impact on society.
People’s lives are being changed. The Jewish political hierarchy is alarmed & they arrest the apostles Peter & John. Listen to their words in Acts 4:16-17,
“’What are we going to do with these men?’ they asked. ‘Everybody living in Jerusalem knows they have done an outstanding miracle, & we cannot deny it. But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn these men to speak no longer to anyone in this name.’”
In other words, “It is okay if they’re seen, but we don’t want them heard.”
So the Sanhedrin calls them in & commands them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. “But Peter & John replied, ‘Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen & heard” [Acts 4:19-20].
SUM. In other words, the Bible consistently teaches that Christians are not only to be seen, but also to be heard. If we have the only message that shows men & women how to get back to God, then God forbid that we keep that message to ourselves.
PROP. To illustrate this, I want to call your attention to a couple of parables that Jesus told in the 13th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.
I. THE PARABLE OF THE MUSTARD SEED
A. The first one is the parable of the mustard seed. Listen to it in Matthew 13:31-32. It says, “He told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took & planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants & becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come & perch in its branches’” [Vs’s 31,32].
In the 4 Gospels the phrases “kingdom of God” & “kingdom of heaven” are used interchangeably. And whenever Jesus uses them He is talking about God’s people who make up God’s kingdom. In the O.T. the people of God was the nation of Israel. In the N.T. it is the church, & we are to be a little piece of heaven on earth.
So Jesus is saying, “The kingdom of heaven, God’s people, the church, is like a tiny mustard seed you plant, & it begins to grow. Soon it is 12 maybe 15 feet high, & is the largest of all the garden plants. In fact, it is so big that it almost looks like a tree. It is big enough so that birds can come & perch in its branches.”
SUM. Now what does that mean? It simply means that the church is in this world. It begins in a small way, but it is to grow & spread out its branches & influence all of culture & society. In other words, Christians are to be seen, but we are also to be heard because we have a life-changing message to share.
B. Now consider this parable & then think about Jesus. Even though He is God, His life on this earth started as a tiny seed growing inside a woman’s womb. Then He was a little baby with tiny little fingers, & tiny little feet & toes. But that baby begins to grow in wisdom & stature, & in favor with God & man.
Then at 30 years of age, Jesus begins His mission of impacting lives & changing people. Soon crowds are following Him, clinging to every word He speaks. He walks on water. He feeds multitudes. He heals the sick. He raises the dead.
Finally, in John 12:19, “…the Pharisees said to one another, ‘See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after Him!” And today, almost 2,000 years later, He is the most prominent figure in all of human history, the most prominent person who ever walked upon the face of the earth.
C. But since Jesus applied the principle of this parable to His kingdom, the church, lets look at what happened to the church. Remember, Jesus told His disciples, “I will build my church.” Then, after His resurrection & as He ascended into heaven He told them to wait in Jerusalem until they receive power from on high. Then they were to go into all the world & preach the Gospel to every creature.
While they were waiting in Jerusalem for the fulfillment of this promise, Acts 1:15 says, “In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about 120)…” So here is the church with about 120 people as its beginning nucleus.
When the promise was fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost, & after the first gospel sermon had been preached, Acts 2:41 tells us that about 3,000 were added to their number. So here is the church – like the mustard seed, starting to grow.
Acts 2:47 says, “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
Acts 4:4 says, “…many who heard the message believed, & the number of men grew to about 5,000.” The church is now beginning to spread its branches.
Acts 5:14 says, “…more & more men & women believed in the Lord & were added to their number.” The church is growing & growing.
Acts 6:7 says, “So the word of God spread.” But so far the church is still there in Jerusalem. It is not going into all the world, preaching the Gospel.
But Acts 8:1 tells us, “On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, & all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea & Samaria.” Finally the great commission is being carried out.
Now the church is spreading out to Judea & Samaria & to the uttermost parts of the world, until finally Acts 17:7 reports that the pagan people are crying out, “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here…”
So here is the church. It began as a little mustard seed, & it grows & spreads its branches, until the whole world was impacted with the gospel message of Jesus Christ.
D. In a way, this little parable portrays the history of our congregation. Years ago, a small group got together to pray & read the Word. They bought an old butcher shop near the edge of town & remodeled it in order to have a place to meet.
Over the years, through tough times & good, the Lord blessed, & that little group grew. Finally they stepped out in faith & built the beautiful building in which our congregation met for so many years. But we finally outgrew that location & building, & 5 years ago we dedicated this building to the glory & use of our God.
Now we’re beginning to draw up plans to make it possible for us to grow even more, & continue to be what God has called us to be. I believe with all my heart that God has put us here at this time for a specific reason, & we’re on His time schedule, whatever it might be.
II. THE PARABLE OF THE YEAST
A. Well, there is a second parable here that also teaches that the church is to be both seen & heard. It is the parable of the yeast. It’s found in Matthew 13:33. Listen as I read it to you. “He told them still another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took & mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.”
Hot, fresh, home-baked bread is really popular today. It smells & tastes so good! My mother used to make home made bread from scratch, & sometimes she would have me work the yeast into the dough, kneading it, mixing it all together. Then she would put it into the bread pans & we would watch the dough slowly begin to rise because yeast produces a good reaction that works in the dough & causes it to rise.
B. There are qualities about yeast that are good. And Jesus again is talking about the kingdom of heaven or the church.
1. First of all, yeast adds flavor. It makes bread taste better. And the church ought to be flavor in a bland society, in a world that is so tasteless. The church brings good taste into a troubled world.
2. Yeast is also seldom noticed. When was the last time you ate some bread & said, “Boy, that was really good yeast”? You don’t do that. You don’t even notice it. And yet it is there, behind the scenes, doing its work.
3. You see, yeast is only effective when it permeates the loaf. The yeast in our refrigerator will never do any good as long as it remains in the package. It has to be taken out of the package & used before it can begin to permeate the loaf.
It is the same way with the church. As long as we remain behind the walls of the building we’ll never impact the culture.
4. Yeast is alive. And the church must always be alive. Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth...” - that’s a preservative. Jesus said, “You are the light of the world…” – that illuminates. Jesus said, ”You are yeast…” – you should be active & alive in culture.
C. Have you ever wondered why it is that the only people in the world today who aren’t encouraged to come out of the closet are Christians? I mean, homosexuals are trying to impose their values on us. The media is trying to impose its values, & Hollywood is trying to impose its values, too.
But when a Christian stands up & says, “Jesus is the way & the truth & the life,” the world says, “Oh don’t talk to us about religion.” You are to be seen, but not heard.
Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:11, “Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men.” In other words, “We have been changed. And because we have been changed, we are trying to persuade others.”
ILL. If you know that a building is burning down & loved ones are inside, you’re not going to stand by with your hands folded. You’re going to go in & try to save them.
ILL. If you have a cure for cancer, you’re not going to keep that to yourself. You’re going to share it with a world that is dying of cancer.
APPL. And if we have the truth of life & eternity, then it behooves us to share that with the world. So Christians are to be seen, & they are to be heard.
Here’s the lesson then, “When Christians are seen as people of integrity, & heard as people of compassion, the result is always a positive, expanding influence in the world.” When we become the kind of people God wants us to become – people of authenticity, people of integrity – still struggling with our sin, but willing to let God help us overcome that, we become not only people of integrity, but also of compassion.
D. And the result is always that the kingdom of God begins to expand. Sometimes it is like a mustard seed growing in a garden. And sometimes it is like yeast in dough, working, seldom seen, but always active & alive.
Jesus said, “Let your light shine before men that they may see you good deeds & praise your Father in Heaven.” When you are a light shining in the world, men are going to see you. But what will they see? They will see your good deeds. There must be some good deeds that come, & the reason for the good deeds is not to bring credit to yourself, but rather to your Father who is in heaven.
ILL. Have you seen teenagers walking around with the little bracelets that have “WWJD” on them? What does that mean? It means that we’re supposed to ask ourselves every time we have a decision to make, “What would Jesus do? What a great witness! What a great testimony!
But if you’re going to wear that around your wrist, you need to make sure that your light is shining, & that people are giving glory to God for your life & for the changes that have taken place there. You are an example for others to follow.
ILL. I have a friend in Dallas who is a Dallas Cowboy fan and he was very unhappy all during the 1997 football season. He has a neighbor who is a big Green Bay Packers fan. And every Sunday during that football season this neighbor would put out the green & the gold. They even put up a windsock with the words “Green Bay Packers” to blow in the breeze.
And whenever the Cowboys played the Packers they would decorate their whole house in gold & green. They lived in Dallas, but they were flaunting the fact that they were rooting for the Packers to beat the Cowboys.
My friend says, “I was angry at them all the time. And when Super Bowl Sunday came they had all of their gold & green banners flying, flaunting the fact that the Packers were in the Super Bowl. But then they got beat by Denver. Oh, I wanted so much to walk up to their house & say, Nyaah, Nyaah, Nyaah! Just anything to rub it in because they were so obnoxious in flaunting their team.”
Then he remembered that he has a ceramic goose on his front porch that his wife dresses with the changes of the season. At Christmas time it has on a Santa Claus outfit, at Thanksgiving a Pilgrim’s outfit. And on the Sundays when the Cowboys played, she brought out this little cowboy helmet with the blue & gray. And he thought, “I guess maybe we’re pretty obnoxious too.”
SUM. It’s possible to be obnoxious, so Peter says, “Live such good lives among the pagans that though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds & glorify God on the day that He visits us” [1 Peter 2:12].
And again, “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness & respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander” [1 Peter 3:15-16].
ILL. Last year there was an article in “World” magazine about the Promise Keepers rally in Washington, D.C. Here is a sentence from that article. "If Promise Keepers hasn’t done anything else right in its brief 7-year history, it will still get enormous credit for this: The more Promise Keepers has grown in size & influence, the more modest & humble its leaders have become.”
I don’t know how well you follow the news, but when Louis Farrakhan had his “Million-man March,” he was in constant turmoil with the park officials because he felt that their count wasn’t accurate. And there were many other complaints from his group.
But when Promise Keepers went, there was no boasting about how many were there. There was no bragging, no loud voices, just men coming to pray for our government, for our leaders, for our country. And that’s yeast, growing, moving throughout the loaf. That’s a mustard seed silently growing & stretching out its branches & reaching out into the world.
CONCL. It’s a myth. Christians are to be seen. But we also need to be heard. We have a life-changing message to share with the rest of the world.
If you’re here this morning & you’ve not heard that message for yourself, we would tell you that Jesus is the Christ, He is the Son of the Living God. And you can accept Him as your Lord & Savior even this day if in faith you will come to Him & name His blessed name & let Him come into your heart & your life & let Him begin to change you as you grow in your faith.
