Small beginning, Big finish

We're going to have our Bible reading this morning.

It is from Matthew 13, starting at chapter 31.

So Matthew 13, starting at chapter 31.

He put another parable before them, saying,

The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed

that a man took and sowed in his field.

It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown,

it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree,

so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.

He told them another parable.

The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took

and hid in three measures of flour till it was all leavened.

All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables.

Indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable.

This was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet.

I will open my mouth in parables.

I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.

Good morning.

My name is Simon.

I'm just one of the regular attenders here,

but I will be bringing us our message today.

Isn't that fun?

Special welcome to you if you're visiting from Sydney or Tamworth

or somewhere else in between.

But please open your Bibles with me to Matthew chapter 13.

Matthew 13 · chapter mention

We just pray before we kick in.

Gracious Father, thank you for your words so clearly spelt out to us.

As I go through this message, please give me your words to speak

and your word to permeate the hearts of all who hear,

whether here or at home or listening later.

In Jesus' name, amen.

So as we've just heard through Marty,

we're in the midst of a series of talks working through the parables of Jesus

as we can for us in the book of Matthew.

Adam beautifully put it last week.

Each of these parables shows us a different aspect of the kingdom of God.

Like a beautiful gem, we see the beauty of the kingdom,

but as we turn the gem, we discover new and different aspects.

When we can put all of these different views together,

we can get a deeper understanding of the whole.

And to use a worldly parable, three blind men come across an elephant.

The first man finds a leg and includes, it's a tree.

The second man bumps into the trunk and says, it's a snake.

The third man feels the tail and goes, it's a broom.

So when we look at a single aspect of something,

we learn about that one aspect,

but it's when we put all the parts together to make the whole

that we discover something much greater than we could have conceived.

Now, while this worldly parable can often be used to show

how no one religion has all the answers,

I think it is better served to help us understand

the way these parables that we're working through

tell us about the kingdom of God.

So why does Jesus talk in parables?

So Jesus explains to his disciples that he teaches in parables

to reveal the kingdom of heaven to those who are ordained to hear.

Jesus uses the knowledge of his audience to teach about the kingdom of heaven.

He uses everyday scenarios and images.

Now, these images are not overtly religious

and as such do not pose a threat to the world.

As Eugene Peterson states,

the listeners walked away perplexed,

wondering what the parables meant,

the stories lodged in their imaginations.

See, the use of simple language makes the teaching accessible to everyone,

but will also be easily discounted as worthless

by those who are looking for the majesty and power of a kingdom.

The use of everyday images also allows daily tasks

to remind us of the kingdom of heaven

and keep his teachings at the forefront of our minds.

Every time we see a field of grain,

we can be reminded of the parable of the sower

and the parable of the weeds.

Every time we see or smell a fresh batch of bread,

we can be reminded of the parable of the leaven.

When we see birds perching a tree,

we can be reminded of the parable of the mustard seed.

But why these parables?

Why are we talking about the mustard seed in the tree?

And why are we talking about the leaven today?

So as we heard last week,

all the parables are distinctly different,

but they're all linked.

The parable of the sower,

the weeds,

the mustard seed and the leaven,

they all contain an inherent aspect of growth.

These parables answer a question of growth.

A couple of weeks ago,

Matt asked us the question,

do we feel like the gospel is failing in Australia?

It's an interesting question.

And the way we answer the question

would depend entirely on our perspective.

Our definition of success will shape how we can answer.

If we take the world's perspective,

we might look to the physical growth of the church,

bums on seats,

numbers through the door,

as a measure of the success of the gospel.

Now,

in an article published by the ABC on Monday,

just go on,

Professor Andrew Singleton of Deakin University states that in Australia,

Pentecostals demonstrate a high level of religious commitment and practice,

telling the Radio National Programme,

they are the number one in terms of attendance and bums on seats.

If you're Pentecostal,

you're pretty much guaranteed to go to church each week.

And while the congregations of other Christian denominations are in free fall,

Pentecostal membership has increased in line with population growth since the 1980s.

So,

by the worldly measure,

the only truly growing form of Christianity in Australia is Pentecostalism.

And growth there is 35% from immigration.

Is that how we measure growth of the church?

Last week,

Adam encouraged us to live our lives in light of the harvest,

not in light of the crop in the field.

As the weeds and the wheat grow,

they're almost indistinguishable.

It's only when the fruit,

the seed of each plant develops,

that we can see what is wheat and what is weed.

So,

how do we feel

when we are called by God to place all our hope,

all our identity,

all our eternal self

in the smallest of the seeds?

It is easy to feel that Christianity is losing social status

and influence in Western cultures.

Our own personal walk with God in knowledge and love

can feel like one step forward,

two steps back.

It's just so hard to be consistent.

But as we engage in kingdom work

through little conversations with other believers,

with private, unknown, unapplauded prayers

and giving to missionaries,

the little moments of teaching and correcting our children

to see life from a Christian perspective,

these can all seem insignificant

compared to the comfort and prosperity

and sense him important that the world puts value on.

But by revealing aspects of the kingdom through the parables,

Jesus gives us a true perspective of things.

Jesus is using the knowledge that we have to reveal the kingdom to us.

So let's open up to verse 34.

All these things Jesus said to the crowd in parables.

Indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable.

Now, I think I need to clarify at this point

that it's clear as we read through the various gospels

that Jesus does not talk exclusively in riddles

when talking to the crowd.

There is not an aspect of Yoda

where every item is aristocrat.

Hmm, found someone, yes.

No, Jesus' words are not a listing of proverbs.

This statement is telling us that parables

are an integral part of Jesus' teaching

and he did not teach the crowds anything

without using parables as part of his teaching.

Moving on to 35.

This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet.

I will open my mouth in parables.

I will utter what has been hidden

since the foundation of the world.

So how is Jesus' teaching in parables

fulfilling the words of the prophet?

And which prophet's words are he fulfilling?

So these lines here in verse 35 are quoted from Psalm 78,

which is a psalm written by Asaph.

Throughout Psalm 78, Asaph recounts the history of Israel

from the promise to Jacob,

which affirmed the promise to Abraham,

through all of Israel's sojournings in the wilderness,

all of Israel's complaints in the wilderness,

the punishment made it against Egypt,

and all the aspects of the rebellion of God's people.

Yet Asaph shows us that through all this,

God is steadfast.

Asaph recounts the history of Israel

not from the perspective of the glory of the kingdom,

rather from the perspective of the righteous act of God

in redemption.

So this is what Matthew, in compiling his gospel,

believes that Jesus is doing,

taking the known facts and reshaping them

to give us information

that was previously unknown or unconsidered.

Now the most obvious example for this

is during the Sermon on the Mount

we looked at around this time last year.

In Matthew chapter 5,

Matthew 5 · chapter mention

Jesus teaches the true meaning behind the Jewish law.

In verses 21, 27, 31, 33 of chapter 5,

he uses the phrase,

you have heard it said,

or something along these lines.

When there Jesus enters into a teaching on the law

as it is stated,

and then the motives of the heart

that are behind each of these laws.

These teachings guide us to understanding

that the kingdom of heaven is not ruled by law,

not accessed through physical obedience,

but rather by a changing of attitude within our hearts

based on the original plan that God has for us.

The parables teach us aspects of heaven

that have always been there,

but not understood in their nature

prior to Jesus shaping them in this way.

Don Carson, in his commentary on this passage,

describes it well with,

Jesus is the royal king and son of David

foreseen in scripture,

but also the stricken shepherd,

equally foreseen in scripture.

Who clearly foresaw that both of these streams

would merge into one person?

Are we open to having our preconceptions challenged

and changed by Jesus?

Are we open to learning new things about God

and his kingdom as our hearts are shaped by the gospel?

Are we willing to give up our expectations

and let Jesus guide us on the path of life?

With a slight understanding of what Jesus is doing

with these parables,

let's look now at how Jesus challenges the understanding

and expectations of his audience then and now

with these words.

Jesus teaches us that his kingdom is for all nations

and it is guaranteed to grow.

Going back up to verse 31,

Jesus put another parable before them saying,

the kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed

that a man took and sowed in his field.

It is the smallest of all seeds.

When it is grown, it is larger than all the garden plants

and becomes a tree,

so that the birds of the air come

and make nests in its branches.

Before we get lost in the amazing imagery and history

that's wrapped up in this simple story,

let's have a look at some more obvious oddities.

Firstly, the mustard seed.

While we clearly know that a mustard seed

is not literally the smallest of all seeds,

we can appreciate that the point Jesus makes.

This is not the only time that a mustard seed is used

to represent something almost insignificantly small.

In Matthew chapter 17,

Matthew 17 · chapter mention

Jesus uses the mustard seed as an example

of the tiniest amount of true faith

that has the power to move mountains.

So the mustard seed is used as a stereotype

for the picture of insignificance.

Secondly, the mustard tree.

Now most commentators that I read

and most farmers I'm sure would agree

that calling a mustard plant a tree

is a bit of a stretch.

Everyone agrees that the mustard plant

can grow up to three metres high,

but it is more commonly referred to as a bush,

as most mustard varieties are a small shrub.

So why does Jesus describe it as a tree?

As we look back at some scripture reflections

that this story evokes,

we can begin to understand.

If we look at the prophecies of Ezekiel and Daniel,

the mighty trees that provide shelter

to all the nations

are compared to the mighty cedars of Lebanon.

The cedar is a beautiful tree.

It's tall, strong, beautiful to behold.

So the cedar is an excellent metaphor for a kingdom.

The seeds of a cedar,

while not as small as a mustard seed,

aren't exactly the biggest seeds out there either.

Acorns are bigger.

Peaches are bigger.

Plums are bigger.

So why a mustard tree?

It's even when assuring us that the kingdom will grow,

Jesus reminds us that the kingdom of God

is not what we expect it to be.

From a worldly comparison,

the kingdom of God might look weak or pathetic.

As a mustard tree,

we compare to a mighty cedar.

The imagery of the parable

draws us away from the earthly majesty of our kingdoms

and focuses our hearts on the assured growth

to the mature conclusion.

The mature conclusion that the kingdom of God

is growing towards

is a place of rest for all nations.

Jesus is pushing his predominantly Jewish audience

to lift their view of the kingdom up

from their expectations of a restoration

of the kingdom of David,

the worldly kingdom of Israel.

The promise to Abraham of a blessing to all nations

is coming to fruition.

The fullness of God's kingdom is being revealed

and it is bigger than Israel,

just as it was always intended.

Our third oddity,

a mustard seed sown in a field.

Just as a lot of people agree

that calling a mustard bush a tree is odd,

planting it in a field is also out of place.

Jesus himself in this parable

recognises that mustard is a garden plant.

So if we follow Eugene Peterson's line of thought

that these stories were used for teaching

as they lodged in our brains,

the idea of a garden plant growing in a field

is just ludicrous enough

that we'll keep calling it for a good laugh.

Remember that time Jesus planted the herb

out in the fields with all the wheat?

What an idiot.

But the story of the kingdom remains with us

and our minds turn it over and over

every time we think on it.

God's word is work in our hearts,

even as we're laughing at the ridiculousness

of that image.

So two sentences,

three anomalies.

The audience back then as well as now,

we all can't help wondering,

what is Jesus trying to say?

So the image of the birds

coming and making nests in the branches of the tree

reflects the imagery of Ezekiel chapter 31.

Ezekiel 31 · chapter mention

Here the prophet is speaking to Pharaoh

with the words of God.

The prophecy speaks of the might

and majesty of the Assyrian kingdom,

famous for decimating the northern tribes of Israel.

He reflects it as a cedar in Lebanon.

In verse 6 of Ezekiel chapter 31,

Ezekiel 31 · chapter mention

he recounts,

all the birds of the heavens

made their nests in its boughs.

Under its branches,

all the beasts of the field

gave birth to their young.

Under its shadow lived all great nations.

There is also a similar reflection of this

in Daniel chapter 4

Daniel 4 · chapter mention

when Daniel is talking to Nebuchadnezzar.

The description of a tree

that provides nesting

for all the birds of the air or heavens

is a kingdom,

an empire that is mighty,

a kingdom that provides

for all the needs

of those who dwell within.

So the image of a mustard seed,

the stereotype of insignificance,

growing into a mighty kingdom,

providing benefits for all

who come to rest in its shade.

Jesus' words show us

the organic unity

of the small beginning

and the mature conclusion.

The empires spoken of

in Ezekiel and Daniel

were all erased.

Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, gone.

Yet God's kingdom

endures forever.

The mighty seed

have been chopped down

but the mustard tree

will last forever.

That small, insignificant seed

will grow

into a mighty kingdom,

will endure.

So when we see the value

in which the world

holds God's kingdom,

are we reminded

of the insignificance

of the mustard seed?

The disciples

hearing this message

would have been,

well, let's get it.

At this point,

they probably didn't get it

but very shortly,

in the next few years,

they'll grasp

the full power

of this message.

As they embark

on the world-shaping

journey of evangelism,

these words

would have been

a great comfort.

In the years

following the resurrection

and ascension of Jesus,

the disciples

committed their lives

to preaching

the kingdom of God

to all who would hear.

From the small beginning

of 12 men,

the church grew.

We can look through Acts

and see that there are

many verses

where it states

many believed.

Chapter 4, verse 4.

Chapter 9, verse 42.

Chapter 13, verse 48.

Chapter 17, verse 12.

Chapter 8, verse 8.

Chapter 21, verse 20.

Many believed.

In those early years,

the church grew

from 12 to tens of thousands.

There's more seed,

mighty tree.

Even with persecution,

like from Saul,

the church continued

to grow in numbers.

And even Saul himself

had the word

hidden from his heart

and after his revelation

on the road,

became part,

an integral part,

of the spread

and growth

of the kingdom.

But,

even as the numbers

of Christians grew,

it was not until

a Christian became

the emperor of Rome

that the church

gained earthly authority

to exist.

In the year 313,

Emperor Constantine

issued the Edict of Milan,

granting

to the Christians

and others

full authority

to observe that religion

which each preferred.

and the Catholic Church

was born.

So nearly 300 years

of growth in numbers,

crossing physical

and cultural boundaries

before the church

became accepted

by the world.

So it begs the question,

how do we consider

the growth of the church?

Do we merely think

of the breadth of growth,

the numbers,

people coming through

the door

and the bums on seats?

Is the church

growing successfully

if we run out of seats

and run out of car parks

and we need to keep expanding?

We've touched on

the message of the Sermon

on the Mount

from chapter 5 of Matthew

where Jesus reveals

that the kingdom

was a matter of

reorientation

of a person's heart.

Now this concept

is so at odds

with society's

drive for confident success

that the world

is unable to see

the growth of the kingdom

or even consider

that a decline

in numbers

in the church

may in fact

be the church

growing

in deeper

love and understanding

through refining

of the people

who are turning up

every week.

What do the apostles

consider to be growth?

In Ephesians chapter 4

Ephesians 4:15

verses 15 and 16

Paul talks of

growing up

in every way

into him

who is the head

into Christ

so that when each part

is working properly

it makes the body

grow so that it

builds itself up

in love.

In Philippians chapter 1

Philippians 1:9

verse 9 and 10

Paul prays

that their love

may abound

more and more

with knowledge

and all discernment.

Or in 1 Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 1:3

chapter 1 verse 3

Paul gives thanks

to God

for their faith

growing abundantly

and the love

of every one of you

for one another

is increasing.

Or Peter

the final words

of 2 Peter

2 Peter 3:18

chapter 3

verse 18

Amen.

But grow

in the grace

and knowledge

of our Lord

and Saviour

Jesus Christ

to him be the glory

both now

and to the day

of eternity.

Amen.

In all these

prayers of growth

it is not about

numbers.

The growth

of the saints

and the growth

of the church

is measured

in depth

of understanding

and knowledge.

Growth

is shown

by increasing

love

for one another

so that the church

builds itself up.

As we grow

in faith

we grow

in love.

As we grow

in love

the church

is lifted

and God

is glorified.

With the seed

of the kingdom

planted in us

God guarantees

that we will grow

and the sign

of growth

is increased

love.

So how

are we growing?

How are we

growing individually?

How are we growing

as a church?

Christianity

has spread

a long way

from its humble

beginnings.

The church

has crossed

political,

cultural,

physical barriers

to extend

over almost

all the surface

of the earth

and it continues

to spread.

How can we

help grow

the kingdom

in the world?

Not just

in bringing

numbers in

but helping

them to grow

in knowledge

and discernment.

Helping them

to abound

more and more

in love

one for another.

How do we

help the body

build itself

up in love?

What are the

aspects of our

kingdom lives

that we feel

are insignificant?

Perhaps we think

it's insignificant

to give money

to support

that missionary.

No one knows

we do it.

We don't gain

any glory for it.

maybe it's

insignificant

to provide

a meal

to that person

in need.

It's just a meal

I was already

cooking one

little bit extra

it's easy.

Or maybe

you think

it's insignificant

to cross

age or cultural

boundaries

to have

conversations

with other

members of

our church.

All of

these things

which seem

insignificant to

the world

are building

each other

up in love.

Does it

seem to you

that the

kingdom

shines brighter

to us

when you

see people

from all

backgrounds

all cultures

affected the

same way

of the same

words

to be called

to the same

kingdom home?

You see

God is doing

his work.

It's hidden

but it's

powerful

and it

permeates

all aspects

of life.

Let's go

now to

verse 33

of Matthew

Matthew 13 · chapter mention

chapter 13

no longer

Ezekiel.

He told

them another

parable.

The kingdom

of heaven

is like a

leaven that

a woman hid

in three

measures of

flour

till it

was all

leavened.

As Marty

described with

the kids

talk, that

small batch

of yeast

has a huge

effect on

the whole

dough.

Now

typically

biblically

we associate

yeast

with the

pervasiveness

of sin,

the way

that one

small thing

gets in

and invades

our whole

lives.

But it's

not exclusively

used to

represent evil

or bad

or sin

in the

Bible.

Leavened

bread itself

is specifically

called for

in the

sacrifice of

peace

offerings

and in

the Feast

of Weeks,

both from

Leviticus.

Leavened

is not

universally

bad in

the Bible.

There is

the concept

that Israel

left Egypt

without

leaven

as symbolic

of them

leaving behind

all ties

to the

slave nation

and would

make roots

as a new

nation,

right down

to the

intrinsic

constituents

of their

bread.

I had to

dig a little

deeper in

this to

understand the

difference

between yeast

like Marty

showed us

with the

kids and

that fine

powder and

what a

leaven would

have been

to the

original

listeners.

Now

at that

day yeast

leaven

it's all

the same

thing.

We see

a physical

difference

because we

have new

technology

and through

different

processes

through the

1600s we

discovered yeast

as a dried

yeast extract.

But leaven

in this

parable

refers to

something akin

to a

sourdough

starter

where you

have

the

flour

and the

water

catching

natural

yeast

extracts

in the

atmosphere

mixing

probiotics.

I think

that helps

us to

understand

if we

understand

what leaven

was in

that context

it opens

us a

deeper

understanding

of the

kingdom.

Leaven's

not something

we can

simply take

from a

packet like

Marty did.

We can't

just take

this little

thing and

sprinkle it

in and

it will

rise.

Leaven is

something that

came before

it was

established

before our

time that

is cultivated

and grows

and can be

used over

and over

again

long after

we're

gone.

Leaven is

kept by the

bread maker

of each

family

in Jesus'

parable times

and a

portion is

added to

each batch

of dough

to make

it rise.

So as

Christians,

as believers,

as saints,

we need to

let the

word of

God

permeate

throughout

entire

lives.

Just as

leaven affects

the entire

batch of

dough,

so should

the word

of God

affect all

aspects of

life,

shaping our

identity as

members of

God's

kingdom.

The growth

that we

have looked

at in

terms of

love,

understanding,

knowledge,

discernment,

these are

the signs of

the kingdom

permeating our

lives.

I can name

four main

aspects of

my life,

work,

family,

church,

and rugby.

I name them

as the four

main aspects

because that's

the basic

divisions of

time in my

week.

work.

And it's

easy for us

to compartmentalise

the different

aspects of

our lives.

Work doesn't

spill into

family.

Rugby doesn't

spill into

work or

family,

and work

and family

don't spill

into rugby.

Everything

neatly in

its little

box.

Church

really doesn't

spill into

any of

them.

We find it

easy to

live as

members of

the kingdom

when surrounded

by other

members of

the kingdom,

but much

harder when

surrounded by

the things of

this world.

But that's

not what the

kingdom of

God is

like.

When I have

the word of

God in my

heart, it

will permeate

all aspects

of my life.

It will

dissolve my

autonomy of

self and

restore the

sovereignty of

God.

God spills

into my

family, into

my work, and

even into my

rugby.

As the word

of God

permeates into

my life, the

kingdom will

overflow into

everything that

I do.

it's okay that

Christianity is

not the

focus or

front of

mind of

the world.

God's

kingdom will

permeate the

whole world and

be known and

acknowledged by

all.

God's kingdom

is different to

the world.

It has

different values.

We cannot

rate them the

same way.

And God

will make sure

that the values

of the kingdom

will last

longer than

any worldly

focus.

God's

kingdom is

different to

us.

God's

perspective of

the kingdom

is different

to ours.

We need to

fill our

hearts with

his word.

Let it

permeate to

all areas of

our lives to

gain some

level of

understanding and

appreciation for

the perspective

that God

has.

The kingdom

today feels

small and

insignificant.

All that it's

been reduced by

the world in

physical size or

social importance.

But with

those with

eyes to see

and ears to

hear, God

is still

growing his

kingdom.

So we need

to live now

but in

respect of

the not

yet.

We've seen

that the

tree will

grow.

We've seen

that the

bread will

rise.

Will you?

We feel

that tension

that we're

encouraged by

seeing and

feeling the

growth of

the kingdom

and the

way that the

world treats

it as

something

insignificant.

So even

though the

growth of the

kingdom is

guaranteed by

God, we

are still

living in the

mustard seed of

the kingdom.

It is only at

the end that

the mature

conclusion of

the kingdom be

displayed for

all of

creation to

see.

As in the

parable of

the weeds,

it is at

the harvest

that the

true members

of the

kingdom will

be revealed.

So how

do we live

now in

respect to

that future

time?

If we

measure God's

idea of

growth properly

as internal

character change,

people of all

cultures coming

to nest in

Jesus, then

the worldly

measures of

success make

it look weak

and pathetic.

But we

will see the

glory of

God that is

building and

growing, God's

word permeating

all of a

person and

all cultures

of the world.

If we

believe this,

we will

embrace being

seen as

insignificant in

the eyes of

the world and

being part of

Jesus' mission in

seemingly

insignificant ways.

So as we

go into this

week,

how will

you feel

when we

are called

by God

to place

all our

hope,

all our

identity,

and all

our eternal

self in the

smallest of

the seeds?

, from the

same

looked at

his

other

weaknesses,

and all

through the

number of

wonders.