The Kingdom Is A Seed
31 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:
32 Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. —Matthew 13:31-32 (KJV)
1.
BEGINNINGS
A mustard seed is one of the world’s smallest seeds to plant. When Jesus is communicating about the kingdom of God, He begins by comparing the origins of the Kingdom to the origins of a mustard tree.
10 These are the visions I saw while lying in bed: I looked, and there before me stood a tree in the middle of the land. Its height was enormous.
11 The tree grew large and strong and its top touched the sky; it was visible to the ends of the earth.
12 Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant, and on it was food for all. Under it the wild animals found shelter, and the birds lived in its branches; from it every creature was fed. —Daniel 4:10-12 (NIV)
2. THE SEED MUST BE
TO GROW
24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. —John 12:24 (KJV)
PLANTING HAPPENS ON
• You get only what you plant.
• We can’t plant something we are not! (We don’t plant corn and expect wheat).
• We must be fully surrendered to God in order to produce a spiritual harvest.
Nothing happens until the seed is planted.
What does a farmer do when he has an empty field that’s producing no income? He doesn’t complain about it. He doesn’t even have to pray about it! He just goes out and starts planting some seed, because nothing is going to happen until he plants the seed.
Maybe you think you’re waiting on God. God says, “You think you’re waiting on me? I’m waiting on you! I’m waiting for you to plant a seed.”
WHAT SEED HAVE YOU PLANTED TO SEE THE HARVEST?
Planting is an act of
26 He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground.
27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.
28 All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head.
29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”
30 Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it?
31 It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth.
32 Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”
33 With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand.
34 He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything. —Mark 4:26-34 (NIV)
3. WHERE THE KINGDOM
, PEOPLE ARE BLESSED
Since you may not be familiar with planting a mustard seed, try this parable on for size…
“The kingdom of heaven is like a church member who tithes and gives faithfully of their time, talent, and treasure for the work of God with their local church. Compared with the giving of wealthy donors to football and basketball teams… compared with the contributions made to the political candidates or Political Action Committees in an election season… it looks small. It doesn’t begin to compare. But, when those gifts are cultivated and when they are invested in the work of the Kingdom… and joined with the time, talent, and treasure of others—then something amazing happens… the church grows and the Lord touches the lives of more people than you could ever imagine—providing safety and shelter and a home for the broken, hurting and hopeless of the world… for those who need it most…”
Maya Angelou
Some years back the poet and novelist Maya Angelou was giving a commencement address in California. She began her remarks with a question for the students: “How did you get here today?”
She answered for them, “I’ll tell you how you got here. Lots of folks, way before you were born, and way before you came of age, paid for you to get here.”
Then she said, “I’ll tell you how I got here.” And she spoke of her forebears. She told of African slaves shackled in chains, huddled together, who paid for her to get there. She told about a woman in her childhood church in Stamps, Arkansas, who took time to teach Maya some manners – some culture. She told of another woman in Stamps – a dignified, elderly literary woman who invited a young Maya Angelou to tea and introduced her to Charles Dickens and gave her a copy of A Tale of Two Cities.
“All of these people paid for me to get here today”, she said: “the slaves, Miss Culture Lady, and the old, literary woman who insisted she read Dickens.”
Then, Maya Angelou spoke words that carried within them the essence of the parable we are discussing tonight. She told the graduating class,
“Now you get out of here today! Get on out of here! And with your very life, pay for somebody else to get here.”
4. IMMEASURABLY
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,
21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. —Ephesians 3:20-21 (NIV)
You reap MORE than you sow.
A farmer does not sow a sack of grain and hope to harvest a sack of grain.
When you sow, you will reap in greater amounts.
Amedeo Obici was born in 1876 in a small village near Venice, Italy. His widowed mother read him letters from his uncle in America, and Amedeo told everyone he was going to America one day. Everyone knew he was an exceptionally bright and enterprising child. By the time he was 11 years old, his family had helped him save enough money for an immigrant’s ticket to America, and he set sail by himself.
One story says Amedeo had no money for food, so his mother gave him a bag of peanuts which was all he had to eat for the 10 day trip across the ocean. In this land of opportunity, Amedeo, at 11 years of age, went to work as a bellhop and a helper at a fruit stand. He worked hard and saved his money as he had promised his mother.
Amedeo soon learned that Americans liked the peanuts he shared with them; but few, if any, were growing them here. So, he found a place to plant the handful of peanuts he had left. While his peanuts were growing, he saved enough money to buy a horse and wagon. When his peanut crop came in, he drove around calling himself “The Peanut Specialist” selling roasted peanuts. By 1906 he had developed his own method of blanching and roasting peanuts and founded Planters Peanuts headquartered in Suffolk, VA. He became wealthy enough to send money to his family in Italy; and, years later, he gave to the city of Suffolk the Louise Obici Hospital named after his wife.
Now, Amedeo had only a handful of peanuts; but he had the choice of what he could do with them. He could have eaten them or sold them, but he wisely chose to plant what he had so that, in time, he would have enough to eat, give away, and sell to send money to his family. I don’t know if Amedeo knew about the Law of the Harvest in the Bible, but he certainly practiced it! —Read 2 Corinthians 9:6-15
The Story of Planter’s Peanuts
https://youtu.be/CuBftb3U0TQ
5. BELIEVING IS
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. —Hebrews 11:1 (KJV)
You might not think that the Kingdom of God in your life is having much effect …on you or on others around you! Let me assure you that it is. The more you surrender to God, and allow Him to lead and guide you – the more you will see His Kingdom grow in your life. It doesn’t usually happen overnight. The strongest trees and plants take time to grow roots before becoming their full size.
Questions to Ask/Discuss:
What is significant about the Kingdom of God being compared to a seed?
How have you seen God work in small ways that resulted in a big impact?
What is one small way you can invest your life to further the Kingdom of God?
How have you seen the work of God be a blessing to people around you? What made it a blessing?
What is one thing that you would like to see God do that would be worth your diligent prayer?
What do you think prevents growth in the Kingdom of God?
Why do you think God likes to begin small when He does great things?
How was the life of Jesus an example of this growth principle?
Takeaways and Hashtags
• The Kingdom of God has humble beginnings #theKingdom #smalltobig
• For the Kingdom to grow, someone has to plant the seed #theKingdom #seeds
• Where the Kingdom grows, people are blessed #TheKingdom #Blessings
• God can do immeasurably more than we can think or imagine #TheKingdom #Dreambig