Open 75 (The Wonder of it All) RR 840 "Of Mustard Seeds and Yeast" "In To My Heart" Matthew 13:31 "Another parable He put forth to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field," 32 ""which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches."" 33 "Another parable He spoke to them: "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened." Luke 17:5 "And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."" 6 "So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you." By now we should be familiar with the concept of seeds as we look at the parables of Jesus. However, in a way, until today, we have left out one of the most important concepts that we find repeated over and over in the parables. That is the concept of the kingdom of heaven. Now often we look at the kingdom of heaven as being a state of bliss after the Lord returns to take his children away from the pain and frustration of this earth. And that is half right. When the terms kingdom of heaven, or kingdom of God are used, there is another concept that is almost always used along with it. The kingdom of heaven is LIKE, or what can the kingdom of heaven be likened to..... Notice the differences between this and the description of the Second Coming. At the second coming the Lord will come with a shout, and the trumpet of God, the heavens part as a scroll, a mighty earthquake, and the islands disappearing. This is an event that is dramatic, cataclysmic, and unmistakable. Compare this with the kingdom of God. What is it like? It is like a field that is plowed and good seed is planted. The seed quietly sends its roots down deep into the soil gathering strength so that it might produce seed at the end of the season. The kingdom of Heaven is like yeast. A very small amount quietly goes to work in the dough, and turns a heavy mass of gooey dough that would be almost impossible to eat, into a light and delicious loaf of bread. The Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. The treasure just sits there, it's value never changing, waiting for someone to look for it. When that person does look for it, he is rewarded beyond his wildest dreams. The Kingdom of Heaven is like a dragnet that is cast into the sea, and when it is drawn back in, it has all kinds of creatures in it. From good to bad. Then the bad are thrown away. The Kingdom of Heaven is like a field that the enemy sows tares in. They grow together, but are separated at harvest and the tares are burned. The Kingdom of Heaven is like a householder that produces treasurers old and new. The Kingdom of Heaven is like a tiny mustard seed that grows and grows and grow way beyond what one would expect. The Kingdom of Heaven is like a king who made a wedding feast. The Kingdom of Heaven is like a group of day laborers who get all get paid the same regardless of the amount of time that they put in. The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who finds a priceless pearl and sells everything to purchase and have that pearl for himself. Will talk more to that next time. So what do we learn of the Kingdom of God from these parables? The Kingdom works quietly and deeply. The Kingdom of Heaven works thoroughly. The Kingdom of Heaven rewards those who find it and value it. The Kingdom of Heaven has all kinds of subjects. Some are fit and some are not. Some will go through and some will not. Some will burn. The Kingdom of Heaven as spies and malcontents planted within it by the enemy to try to disrupt it's operation. The Kingdom of Heaven provides the comfort of truths that are known, and the joy of discovery for truths that we had not appreciated yet. The Kingdom of Heaven provides for all of our needs. It calls us to be subjects, and then makes us acceptable to the king. The Kingdom of Heaven plays no favorites. The good citizens all get the same reward. And it is infinite. The bad citizens all get the same reward. And it is final. The Kingdom of Heaven looks like a hopeless looser, but as it develops, it becomes greater than everything else. The Kingdom of Heaven will lead people to do things that the citizens of the other kingdom cannot appreciate, because they do not comprehend the compulsion of true love and devotion. And perhaps most importantly, the Kingdom of Heaven is only that by faith. It operates contrary to the laws that control earthly kingdoms. After seeing what we just saw, let's compare the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven with the Second Coming. The Kingdom of Heaven works in a way that to us seems somewhat slow and frustrating. We want every person who hears the word to immediately throw down roots and bear fruit. We want to instantly have victory over every problem in our lives. We definitely want every one else to have victory in their lives to make things easier on us. But all the pictures that Jesus gives us of the Heavenly Kingdom are in slow motion. No instant replay. Have you ever tried to watch a seed grow? It is hard enough for some of us to wait for water to boil. But for the Kingdom of Heaven to work, it needs time. It invades, puts down roots, grows plants, rewards effort, is in the world, and so on. Contrast this with the Second Coming. Loud versus quite. Instantaneous rather than unhurried. Final rather than ongoing. Which brings me to the conclusion that while the Second Coming is a huge event in the Kingdom of Heaven, it is not the most important. Now before you throw something at me, I do believe that it may be the most decisive point in the history of the Kingdom. But I am not totally persuaded on that, even, for the Second Coming brings the rewards of the Kingdom, but the Kingdom of Heaven is just beginning at the Second Coming. Think about that for a minute or two. Now to further illustrate this, let us look at the two manifestations of our Savior represented by the two events. Turn with me to Isaiah 53: 53:1 Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him. 3 He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. 8 He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken. 9 And they made His grave with the wicked; But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth. 10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand. 11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors. This passage, brothers and sisters, describes not a point in time, but a process that occurs. At what point of time was our salvation assured as far as God was concerned? From before the foundation of the earth. At what time was our salvation assured as far as we are concerned? It that a point or a process? It is like a mustard seed that starts out hard, dry, and dead looking. Then it miraculously grows up to be a large plant. BUT, there is no seed planting or growing at the second coming. That is the harvest. And we have a completely different picture of Jesus there. King of King and Lord of Lords. The leader of a vast army. Conquering Monarch. Making war riding a white horse. Sitting on a great white throne. The wicked crying for deliverance from the glory and majesty of the Son of God. The Lamb of the righteous becomes the Lion for the wicked. Yet, the Second Coming is just a step in the kingdom of God. In the Word is clear that the kingdom continues on for us. Malachi 4:1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. 3 And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts. I love the description that the prophet Isaiah gave of the Kingdom of God realized fully. Isaiah 65:17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. 18 But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. 19 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. 20 There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. 21 And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. 22 They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. 23 They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them. 24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. 25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD. And this is possible through the quiet steady working of God's Spirit in us. Another term for that is faith. If we have faith, as a grain of mustard seed, the kingdom will grow in us, we will bear fruit, and we will inherit the blessings of the Kingdom of God which are eternal and imperishable. Today, do you want to be part of that kingdom?