The Surety of God's Work

I want you to turn to Luke chapter 13.

Luke 13 · chapter mention

Luke chapter 13.

Luke 13 · chapter mention

I am glad today to know that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior.

Amen.

And if I fall out here today and be assured, I'll be in glory.

And that'll be fine with me.

Y'all got to clean up afterwards, but I'll be fine.

And I am thankful for that today.

But I'll tell you what else he is.

He's also a wonderful teacher.

And with a personal relationship with Christ, the Holy Spirit is committed daily to teach us through the word of God,

as well as through the illustrations of life, what it means to be in the Lord, how to look for the movement of God.

And when you look for the movement of God, you will, you'll find it.

But I'll tell you, it will not always be as it seems.

A lot of times, God's doing a whole lot more than what we think he's doing.

God has a tendency to work contrary to our expectations.

He works contrary to our experiences.

And we can easily miss what God's up to because it's not how we expect it.

In our passage today, the setting is that there's a lady who needs to be touched by the Lord.

And it's on the Sabbath.

And when he heals and exercises a demon from this lady, the church becomes upset with him.

The church leaders, they didn't like it because it's the Sabbath.

And to heal somebody or to cleanse somebody is work.

And Jesus responds by, in a very kind way, by saying, you hypocrites.

If your donkey needs water on the Sabbath, don't you untie him from his manger and take him to get him water.

And yet this lady needed a touch of the Lord.

And I gave it to her.

Just not what they expected.

And in response to that, Jesus begins a teaching.

It's a teaching time.

And he gives illustrations that explain how God works.

And he speaks of the kingdom of God.

Now, when he speaks of the kingdom of God, there were a lot of misunderstandings about it.

There are a lot of misunderstandings about it.

The tendency in that day were for them to look back and look at King David and see what King David did.

That was the mightiest king that Israel ever had.

That Israel grew like it never had under King David.

And it kind of fell apart after King David.

And so they always looked back to King David.

And when they thought of the Messiah and when they read those prophetic passages,

they often thought maybe God will raise up another King David.

Maybe we can conquer the land again.

So their thought was often King David.

And when they met Jesus, is Jesus the one that's going to bring back the kingdom the way we knew it under David?

Others looked ahead.

They looked at the circumstances of their day.

They knew what the Roman Empire was doing to them.

And they felt the pressures of that.

And they looked to the day when God would intervene in a powerful way,

defeat the evil of the kingdom of Rome, the world power at the time, and take over the world.

And so when Christ spoke of the kingdom of God, that's what they thought of.

But that's not what Jesus was talking about.

Jesus said in all of the synoptic gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke,

very early on, it's recorded that he said the kingdom of God is at hand.

That don't mean it's coming.

It means it's here.

Jesus was saying don't miss the moment.

Now, thank God under his revelation, it continues to reveal itself and will continue as the kingdom of God will throughout the ages.

But I don't want you to misunderstand today because we live in a wicked world.

God is ruling and reigning right now.

We're not waiting on God to take control.

He's already in control.

He is ruling and reigning now.

That means we don't have to wait on him to win.

Nor are we waiting on him to win.

They were to watch Christ and watch God win.

And we are to acknowledge that Christ has won.

The battle of sin and death was won on Calvary.

It was done.

And the last buzzer hasn't sounded yet, make no mistake.

But the battle's over.

The war's won.

It kind of reminds me of the Battle of New Orleans.

And on January the 8th, 1815, after many skirmishes and smaller territorial battles, the Americans profoundly defeated the British in the Battle of New Orleans.

It was the last chapter in the War of 1812, or so it seemed.

And what a chapter it was.

The British suffered 2,000 casualties.

The Americans suffered 71.

It seemed to be the tell-all.

And what those soldiers did not know on that battlefield was the war was already over.

The Treaty of Ghent had been signed on Christmas Eve two weeks before the ending of the war.

Ending the war.

But yet, word had not got back.

And they were still fighting.

Due to a lack of communication in those days, cell phone batteries were dead.

The message didn't get out.

And hundreds died fighting a battle.

They didn't have to fight because the war was over.

Make no mistake today, friend.

God has won the war through Christ on Calvary.

The rule and the reign of God will culminate in his return.

But we better not miss the opportunity or the power or the relevance of the kingdom of God right now.

Jesus spends a lot of time talking about the kingdom when he uses his parables.

And he spoke to clarifying that the kingdom has come and to help us understand exactly what that means.

I want to look at three of them today.

Two of them are right there together in Luke chapter 13.

Luke 13 · chapter mention

First one's in verse 18.

Jesus said this.

He said, therefore, what is the kingdom of God like?

And to what shall I compare it?

It's like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden and it grew and become a tree.

And the birds of the air made nests in its branches.

And again he said, to what shall I compare the kingdom of God?

It's like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour until it was all leavened.

His message is that the kingdom of God is not what it appears.

There's more going on around us than we think.

Let me explain.

The first lesson he teaches us in this first parable is that God's work may seem small.

The whole point of bringing up a mustard seed was the mustard seed was the smallest known seed of that time in that culture.

However, it grew to be a large bush about 10 or 12 feet high, so large that birds could nest in it.

Some have made a lot out of these birds that are mentioned.

There's a story of a tree in Daniel chapter 4 where the birds are a negative force.

Daniel 4 · chapter mention

And because those birds represent demonic activity or evil, then some believe they reveal an evil presence that nest in the kingdom or in God's work.

And so because of that, they carry that over to this parable.

And the parable of the sower as well where the birds steal the seeds of the gospel that fall on hard hearts.

They parallel that together.

And I really believe Jesus mentions birds here to just tell you how big the tree is.

To tell you that it's just a very small seed that grows into something very large considering the seed.

But we often misjudge the power of something by its size.

We think a little is just a little.

And we misjudge that little is much when God is in it.

When God gets into things, he changes them exponentially.

Did you know that if you go home today and put a penny in a jar and you double that amount tomorrow

and you double what you put in the next day

and you double what you put in the next day and then the next day and the next day

and you double that in 28 days, you'll be a millionaire.

And you'll be responsible to tithe on that to your local church.

Go home and try it, but don't come begging in about a week, okay?

Did you know that if everyone in this room would commit to win one person to the Lord this year in Pickens

and next year we'd commit to do the same and everybody that had been one would do the same as well,

that within five years all the city of Pickens would be saved.

And that's assuming that nobody is saved in Pickens except us.

God has a tendency to work.

If we're just willing to do a little bit, you know, Peter preached a sermon in Acts chapter 2

Acts 2 · chapter mention

and 3,000 got saved that day.

And just 10 years later, the persecution grew so strong that the Christians had to scatter

and where they scattered, they took the gospel message with them.

And from that, the world was reached.

The gospel message got out of that small region.

And just like Jesus told us to do to start in Jerusalem and then Judea and Samaria and the uttermost,

that's exactly what they did when persecution came.

They took the gospel with them as they scattered.

They shared it where it was.

And you know who are the recipients of that?

Us.

We are.

Because they took it out of that and just shared it.

Who would have thought 12 uneducated, untalented, grungy men could have spread the church from 12 to thousands and today billions?

Jesus.

That's what he said.

That's what he's telling you.

What starts as a mustard seed.

Don't ever discount the small matters in God's kingdom because God blesses and grows the small.

The second thing that I learned from this, and it's in the second parable that I read,

is that God's work may be hidden.

It's that story of the leaven and the yeast and the bread.

And it's saying that, and again, sometimes leaven is used in a negative sense in Scripture.

It's not meant that here.

Instead, he's speaking of the kingdom of God and how leaven or yeast gets into that dough and does something that you can't see happening.

But in reality, it's working.

It's moving.

And even though you can't see it at work, it changes things.

The same way, God's kingdom gets into your life and the Holy Spirit begins to work in your life and in others.

Things happen that you cannot see.

You can't quite put your finger on.

Jesus speaks of leaven and other stories as evil.

That's not the intent here.

Instead, he's speaking of the penetrating influence of the gospel and how the Spirit moves and works in unseen but very powerful fashions in ways that we can't describe.

God's doing a work in people around you, and you can't even see it, folks.

He's slowly progressing, and when it's real, when he really works in us, when the kingdom of God is in our lives and he's really ruling and reigning in us, he changes things.

It progresses.

When you ask the Lord Jesus to come into your life and you seek his face with your life, he'll begin to change your conscience.

He'll begin to convict you about things that you thought were just fine the day before.

But he'll begin to show you what's wrong with what you're doing.

It goes from that until he begins to change your mindset to where you begin to build parameters in your mind.

And you may think you're just getting better, but in reality, you're not.

Just as sorry as you ever were.

It's just that God's in you.

He's changing the things and how you see them, and he's changing your mindset, and then he'll begin to change your will.

He'll change the things from what you used to do to what you don't do anymore.

And then he'll change your lifestyle.

And while he's changing you, somebody else will be watching.

And it'll change in them.

Because God works like that.

He progresses like that.

He'll do things that you can't see.

I think of Philip.

What a cool story.

Philip couldn't see when God told him to go to the crossroads and meet a man.

And I got a feeling he was thinking as he went to the crossroads that God told him to go to.

How am I going to know?

You know?

What exactly am I looking for?

And when he got to the crossroads,

God had also led another man to be at the crossroads.

And by the Spirit of God, that man was reading a prophetic passage about Jesus.

And Philip heard him.

And as Philip approached the chariot,

it appears he had no knowledge of what he was walking into until he heard the man reading.

And he asked him if he understood what he was reading.

He said, how can I?

And when he explained that he was speaking of Christ,

that Ethiopian was gloriously saved.

And I love that passage where he says, water's right here.

Why not be baptized?

Amen.

And he was baptized right then on the spot.

Or what about the man who heard sermon after sermon after sermon,

and he finally got saved?

And when the preacher, all proud for himself,

walked up to him and said,

sir, can you tell me which sermon did I preach that touched you?

And the man said, none of them.

He said, instead I was leaving church one day,

and an elderly widow stumbled on the steps ahead of me,

and I reached and caught her.

And as I reached out for her, she thanked me,

and she said, do you love my Savior Jesus Christ?

He means all the world to me.

The repeated gospel message

and the personal testimony

was used by the Spirit of God

to convict and save that man.

So much of the work of God he's doing in lives

is influential, is penetrating and permeating,

but never seen outside.

Understand,

the dough does not change itself.

The dough has no power to change itself.

It takes the penetrating force of the leaven

to make that difference,

and much like us,

as much as we may want to change,

we can't do it on our own.

It takes an indwelling unseen,

but surely felt force of the Holy Spirit of God.

That's why the Greek word for Holy Spirit

is breath or wind.

Can't quite put your finger on it.

I don't see the wind,

but I see the evidence of it.

And when the leaven of the power

of the Holy Spirit of God takes over

in lives or in a people,

what a change it brings,

in the midst of the explosive growth

of Christianity in the book of Acts,

in Acts chapter 17, verse 6,

Acts 17:6

it tells what was said about the empowered Christians

when a mob came to attack them.

This is what the mob said.

They said,

these men who have turned the world upside down

have come here also.

They came with a reputation

because God had done a work in their life

and they wanted God to work and move through them.

God's work is not always seen.

It may be hidden

and it sure is often underestimated.

But if the parable of the seed speaks

to the gospel progressing in the world,

this one speaks to the gospel progressing in us.

Never underestimate what God is doing around you.

Never underestimate what God is doing in you.

And by the way,

let me just say,

I am thankful for volunteers

in a church

who are sensitive

to hear what God would have them to do

and are willing to do

what God leads them to do.

those that prepare ministries,

those that care for children,

those that keep us secure,

those that work behind the scenes.

You don't even know who does it,

but it just gets done.

Those who invite guests,

those who welcome guests,

those who encourage others that feel unseen.

We don't know who those people are.

I could name them today if I wanted to,

but God's work is sometimes hidden,

but it's very real.

And God is well aware

because we serve an audience of one.

Now I've been preaching for several weeks

on the parables of Jesus

in the gospel of Luke,

but I'm going to break a rule here

and I'm going to go to Mark 4

because there's another parable that's there

where he talks about

the kingdom of God.

It's in Mark chapter 4,

Mark 4:26

verse 26 and 29.

I love to hear the paper turning.

It's a good thing to bring your Bible, folks.

It is.

Make sure I'm on key.

Make sure I didn't make it up.

You know,

it's good to have it in your hand.

I'm not fussing.

I'm just encouraging.

It says this,

and he said,

the kingdom of God

is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground.

Lord, help us get this today.

He sleeps and rises night and day

and seed sprouts and grows.

He knows not how.

The earth produces by itself

first the blade,

then the ear,

then the full grain in the earth,

but when the grain is ripe,

at once he puts in the sickle

because the harvest has come.

I love it.

He just puts the seed in the ground.

It grows.

He's not sure why.

He's not sure how.

He doesn't know all the details.

He doesn't know all the details.

I recently pastored a church

that had a lot of farmers in it.

It's an agrarian county.

An adjacent city calls itself

the sweet potato capital of the world.

Self-appointed.

Sweet potatoes and soybeans

are all you see

when you come into that county

from any direction.

I was preparing a sermon

something like this.

I don't know which one it was.

I texted one of my farmers

and I said,

let me tell you something.

Let me ask you something.

I said,

fertilizer's high

and there's not a lot of promise

of pleasing weather.

The prospects don't look good.

Do you still put seed in the ground?

He said,

we still put seed in the ground.

We just trust God

to bring us through.

Whether it's a good season

or a bad season,

we just keep at it.

Just expect a harvest

to come.

You just enjoy watching

what was planted

become full grown.

Folks,

I want you to trust

trust the Lord

for the harvest

and to get busy

planting seeds

for the Lord.

You ain't got to figure out

how.

You ain't got to figure out

why.

You're not going to figure out

how it's going to happen.

But everybody needs

to be planting something.

And you can make some choices

in your life.

You can plant different things.

Some people plant

seeds of discord.

Did you hear

what so-and-so's doing?

You know?

Just scattering a rumor.

Or maybe a condescending word.

Some folks plant seeds

of discord.

Some people plant seeds

of judgmentalism.

Pointing a finger

at other people.

Putting down

someone over here.

I'm a whole lot better

picking out your sins

than I am mine.

Some people make

a sport of it.

Could be seeds

of negativity.

Just an effort

to drag people

down to your level.

And I'll just tell you

none of that

is of God.

And all of it

is unsure

and unsteady

and of the evil one.

But God's work

is sure.

It's a sure thing.

God took a brother

who had been sold

into slavery

and he made the best

of those circumstances

and progressed his way

to where he was given

responsibility

over a leader

in the enemy's house

only to be falsely accused

while he was there

and put in prison.

Only to be restored

from prison

and govern

the strongest country

in the world

that in fact

was so plentiful

that it provided

for his own land

in the midst

of a famine.

Did Joseph feel that

when he was in

Potiphar's house

and Potiphar's wife

was falsely

accusing him?

No.

But God's work

is sure.

He'll take the slow

tongue

of Moses.

Did he feel like

God's work was sure

when he was wandering

around the desert

with a bunch of Baptists?

A trip that could have

took a few days

took 40 years?

But God's work

God's work is sure.

He'll take the least

significant

and raise him

to lead Israel

to expand its borders

and be as strong

as it ever has been.

A man with frailties

a man with mistakes

a man who was overlooked

in the very beginning.

And yet he did that

with David.

Do you think

he felt warm

and cozy

when he was

getting a spear

chucked at him

by Saul

when all he was

trying to do

was soothe

the madman

by playing a harp

for him?

No.

No.

No.

But God's work

is sure.

God will take

a babe

born to a virgin

to live a sinless life

die on a Roman cross

rise out of a barred tomb

and return to receive

his own to him

and will save

anyone who calls

upon his name

and surrenders

his or her life

to Christ?

I don't understand that.

But God's work

is sure.

I am thankful

that he'll take

a foot-shaped

mouth fisherman

named Simon

and save him

and call him

and empower him

to unlock

the truths

of the kingdom

and reach

a previously

unreached

Gentile world

and change

the world

for the gospel

out of a man

who said

the wrong thing

too often.

But God's work

is sure.

Did it look like it

when he was arguing

with Jesus

and yet Jesus

changed his name

to Rock

right in the middle

of it

because he knew

he'd be such a

strong foundation

for the word of God?

No.

But God's work

is sure.

God will take

a student

of religious law

and a persecutor

of Christians

and he'll meet him

on the road

to Damascus,

blind him,

call him,

and then open

his eyes

to a whole new world

and he'll lead

that man

to write

most of the

New Testament.

Were those believers

that first met

the saved Paul

sure that God

had done such a work?

No.

They were scared

to death.

But God's work

is sure.

he'll send

his Holy Spirit

to a people

gathered in Jerusalem

and out of that group

spread the Christian

message one person

to another

throughout the world

for generations

so that you

and I

can hear that

same message

and have that

same opportunity

to respond.

Do we deserve

to be saved

and changed?

No.

But God's

work

is sure.

just like a seed.

It's planted

and then sprouts

and grows a blade

and then another.

And then that grain

grows into the ear

in the same way

we just plant seeds.

Church,

if we'll plant seeds

in God's time,

it'll grow.

So I ask you,

even if you ain't

scattering,

there's seeds

falling out

your pocket.

You're leaving

a mark.

What kind of seeds

are you planting?

Because when the

Spirit gets

in the works,

the work of God

will rise.

and it may

seem small

and it may

seem hidden

but little

is much

when God

is in it.

And my friend,

God is in it.

It's a sure thing.

God is at work.

So let's get in

on what God's doing.

With every head bowed

and every eye closed,

I ask you this morning,

have you ever committed

your life

to follow the Lord

Jesus Christ?

Have you ever said,

Lord,

I understand

that on my own

I can't do it.

I need your touch.

I need you

to change me,

Lord.

Forgive me,

wash me clean

and change my life.

Good news

for you today

is if you've never

done that

and you're willing

to do that,

you didn't come up

with that on your own.

Holy Spirit of God

is moving

and working

in your life

and you need

to choose

to follow Him.

Today

as He speaks to you.

Maybe you're here

and you have done that

but the reality is

you've never told

anybody about it,

just a private deal

for you.

Jesus says,

don't be ashamed of me

and I won't be ashamed

of you before my Father.

Let others know,

follow Him

with baptism today.

Proclaiming

publicly

and physically

what God

has done

in you

privately

and spiritually.

Maybe God's

leading you

to be a part

of this church.

God's leading

you in that way.

We'd love

for you to come,

join us

in our journey,

seeking

to scatter seed

for the Lord

and anticipating

mightily

what God's

going to do

as we do.

We'd love

to talk to you

about that.

Maybe you're here

and you don't need

to make any of those

decisions,

you just need to decide

to scatter some seed.

You just need to decide

to live your life

for the Lord Jesus.

To trust Him

when you can't see Him,

when it seems slow,

when it seems unsure,

just trust Him.

Take Him

at His word

because God's work

is sure.

Heavenly Father,

I pray right now

that you'll guide

each and every one

of us today

to follow your will

and your way

exactly the way

you'd have us

to do it.

Lord, I pray

that we won't do

more than you ask us

to do

and we sure won't do

less than you ask us

to do.

We'll just be obedient

as you speak

to our hearts and lives.

Bless our time

right now,

oh God, I pray

in Jesus' precious name.

Amen.