Permeation of the Kingdom
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31 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”
33 He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.”
Any gardeners here?
How are the gardens coming this year?
Any good vegetables?
I’ll happily take whatever veggies you have that want to be transformed into salsa...
Weeds - spread and can destroy a garden
Many consider mustard plants to weeds because of how quickly they can take over a garden
Let’s talk about some interesting things about a mustard seed.
Mustard seed
Small
one of the smallest seeds
2. Grows huge
upwards to about 20 feet tall…but really it isn’t their height that is massive, but their width. They can span out as far wide as they are tall!
3. invades and takes over
And they spread rapidly! That is why many consider them to be weeds...
So much that in rabbinic teaching, they were forbid to plant them in gardens…as they will take over
So, likely, what Jesus is teaching is that the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard tree...
It should be obnoxious!
Nah, just kidding...
But the kingdom should permeate every ounce of society!
Not only that, but should permeate every aspect of our lives...
What happens is the kingdom of heaven gets inside of us and then begins to permeate areas of our lives!
You see, what happens is the work of the holy spirit, coupled with the word begins to work....
Arrogance/Pride
Lust
Selfishness....
The Word of God, the power of the holy spirit, the kingdom of heaven…begins to permeate....
And then there is an overflow into our worlds...
Jesus gave the church the job of continuing His work in the world!
Jesus planted the seeds, it is out job to keep it growing!
12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
We are to do the things that Jesus did and more!
Now, there is debate about what “greater” means...
It’s it qualitatively or quantitatively?
I don’t think we can do qualitatively greater than Jesus...
I think that what He is saying is that He planted the seeds…He showed us how to advance the kingdom...
And now He goes, and sends His Spirit to permeate our lives and then permeate the lives of those around us...
The things that Jesus did are greater in quantity....
The work that He began spreads like mustard plants because of us!
19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
THE Light of the world, came into the world to spread the light!
He lights us up and so we go…to spread the light!
The church, which consists of you and I has a mission!
We are to go through all of the world and preach the gospel!
We are to go into all of the world to share the good news of who Jesus is!
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
on what rock?
Peter?
Petros - means rock...
I’m not sure that it is Peter because less than 5 verses later....
23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
Jesus doesn’t literally mean that he is satan…He is saying his focus is not on the things of God as they were before...
Thus, if Peter isn’t literally satan here....he likely isn’t the rock that Christ will build His church on...
I believe the rock is Peter’s declaration that Christ is the messiah...
I believe the church is built upon the declaration that Christ is the Messiah!
And the church is to cultivate the permeation of the kingdom of heaven!
But, as we started with, this begins with us!
14 When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water.
16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.” 17 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.”
18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
So, the kingdom of heaven is like that of a mustard seed...
And, if we have faith the size of a mustard seed, we can tell mountains to move...
Nothing will be impossible for us!
What areas of our life, are we refusing to allow the kingdom of God to permeate?
What areas do we struggle to surrender to Him!
Because, it is a beautiful thing!
Not as an obnoxious weed, but as something beautiful!
Let’s wrap up with verse 32
32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”
The birds find shelter in the branches of the tree...
The kingdom is a place that we too can find shelter...
Hopefully, we know the comfort of the finding shelter in the kingdom!
And what happens when it permeates in our lives, others see it
They find a safe place in the kingdom…and in us...
People are drawn to us, not because of us, but because of the work that God is doing in us!
This is the beautiful spread of the kingdom!
Birds will flock to us…but not like in Evan almighty....
In a beautiful way!
Maybe this reminds us of Psalm 91 in which we will close with
1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” 3 Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. 5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, 6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. 8 You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. 9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. 11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; 12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. 14 “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. 15 He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
As we wrap up this morning let’s respond....
The kingdom of heaven should permeate every aspect of our lives!
As the church, it is our job to permeate every aspect of this world...
In what areas of your life do you need the kingdom to permeate?
In what ways are you challenged to spread the kingdom of heaven?