• We are going to look at the Parable of the Mustard Seed today
• Just so we know what Jesus is talking about, it’s generally recognized to be black mustard
  • Here is a seed:

• Technically it’s not the smallest seed known to mankind, but in Palestine at that time it was one of the smallest seeds.
  • But also it was well known for being small...
  • hard as nails, hard as diamond, white as snow, “be as quiet as a mouse”
  • so they would say, “as small as a mustard seed”
  • So Jesus was not making a scientific statement but quoting a proverb
• What is extraordinary about it is the size of the fully grown plant compared with the seed:

• So let’s look at the parable:

• It’s found in Matthew, Mark and Luke, and it is paired in Matthew & Luke with the parable about yeast spreading through the dough to make bread (which we’ll look at in a minute).
• Mustard seed: the surprising effect of something small
• Leaven: the surprising effect of something invisible
• Jesus, your “kingdom” is not very impressive.
  • Ok, there’s a lot of healing, and of course that’s good.
  • But after 3 years you only have 12 in your team and they would probably desert you if thing went bad.
  • Was the kingdom of God supposed to be about God showing up in power and destroying all evil, and ruling the nations.
• We can be very defensive or even embarrased about being Christians
  • People can say, Christianity is a dying religion for old people.
  • Who believes in all that superstition today?
• We can have the same kinds of questions:
• How long has Christianity been in this country? —many centuries
  • Why are such a small percentage true, born again, Christians?
• Let’s compare it to, say, facebook. How long has facebook been around?
  • What percentage of Canadians have signed up? —20 million, that’s more than 50%!
  • So is the kingdom of Mark Zuckerberg more successful than the kingdome of God?
• Part of the problem is how we measure thing by looking on the external.
  • What about people’s lives being transformed, saved from suicide, brought off addictions, healed physically & emotionally? —does Facebook do that?
  • Marriages saved. (From what I have heard there are probably more relationships broken by Facebook than saved.)
  • “Facebook a top cause of relationship trouble, say US lawyers”
• I’m not knocking Facebook, just giving it as an example of something that looks very impressive.
• Actually, Christianity is growing worldwide. Much faster in China and Africa than here in the west.
• The point is this: when you look at the seed, it doesn’t look very impressive. But one day you will be amazed at what it has produced.
• “God loves to use the small to produce the amazing”
• The cross!

• Gladys Alyward (1902)
  • Tell story —called to China, soon by herself, prison riot, tremendous favour—escorted to remote villages
  • God loves to do this kind of thing
• Frank Jenner video
• God is working!
  • Even though you might think you are insignificant, God is using you!
• Who here feels they are insignificant? That you don’t have much to give?
• 1 Corinthians 1 —the Corinthian church must have thought this.
  26. …Not many were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were born to a privileged position.
  27. But God chose what the world thinks foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong.
  28. God chose what is low and despised in the world, what is regarded as nothing, to set aside what is regarded as something,
  29. so that no one can boast in his presence.
• God is working!
  • Even though you might think you are insignificant, God is using you!

Parable about making bread

• So, if the
  Mustard seed: the surprising effect of something small
• Then the
  Leaven: the surprising effect of something invisible

• God is working in hidden ways all the time.
• Nowadays when you want to make bread, you buy some flour and some yeast
  • Refined granules in a sealed packet
• Then they kept a bit of the last batch of bread, before it was cooked—you only needed a small amount
  • like sourdough bread today, or “friendship cake”
• The kingdom is spreading all the time.
  • You may share the Gospel with someone and there doesn’t seem to be any response
  • or you may not even do that—you don’t think you have done anything, but God is using your life
• If you are a Christian, God is using you.
  • I’m going to show you a video in a moment, that started with someone just losing their Bible!
  • What have you done for God today? —“I lost my Bible”
    • Well you did take your Bible with you!
• Jesus says the Holy Spirit is like the wind—you can’t see the wind, only it’s effect.
• God is the sovereign king—nothing and no-one can stop his plans
  • The Spirit will do what he wants
• So first two points:
  1. Even though you might think you are insignificant, God is using you!
  2. God is working, even when it doesn’t look like it!
• I saw David Ruis recently, and he gave me permission to use this story today:
  • David Ruis video
• God is working—isn’t it amazing!
  • God is using you in ways you will probably never know.
• If you are not a follower of Jesus, then both these parables can help you understand what it means:
  • Like a seed of new life coming into you
  • Like the power of the Holy Spirit spreading through you.

3. The Kingdom will be victorious

• We’re on the winning side
  • Nebuchadnezzar’s dream
  • the Kingdom fills the whole earth
• Be encouraged! Lift up your eyes!
• It’s so exciting to be part of what God is doing!
• So Jesus gave this parable to encourage us that God is at work
  • If you need encouragement that God is at work in your life, your circumstances, family or friends who are not following Jesus
  • I’d like to pray with you.
  • Or if you want to talk to me about following Jesus then come and talk to me.