Sermon Tone Analysis

Matthew 13: part IV

 

 

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Matthew 13:31-32

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.”

LUKE 13:18-19

18 Then He said, “What is the kingdom of God like?

And to what shall I compare it?

19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.”

I want us today to look at what Jesus says is the “smallest of all garden seeds known”.

Before someone says that is not true, I did study up and found that only the orchard seed is smaller but they were unknown in that part of the world.

I know some of you have heard the saying “it’s as small as a mustard seed” or the famous verse

Matthew 17:20

 20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.



    Now I like to pick apart each parable so we all can under stand what each one means.

So let’s begin:

Now Jesus is telling the crowd that “the kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed”, Now think if you were there and you heard this.

You know that the seed is the smallest around but is that how you really pictured Heaven so, what is He saying?

1st of all this small seed when planted grows to a big 12-15 feet tree in just 1 season.

Now what Jesus is saying is “the beginning of the gospel would be small, but towards the end it would greatly increase, He is saying the gospel church would be set up in the world and that the grace of God would live in some people and be carried on.

The Kingdom of Christ or the Messiah is being set up, but remember it was a small entity at the time.

You had Christ and His apostles- compared with the vastness and grandness of the world, The gospel of Jesus Christ started out small.

Jesus compared the “breaking out of the gospel as the first light like of the dawning of the day “Unlike a lot of churches today Jesus would teach and tend to all young Christians.

The bible says That Jesus would carry them in His arms.

Isa 40:11

  11     He will  feed His flock like a shepherd;

     He will gather the lambs with His arm,

     And carry /them/ in His bosom,

     /And/ gently lead those who are with young.

Church listen to me today,!! WE HAVE STOPPED DOING THAT TODAY!! How can we expect to see people to come to church and get saved when we will not even invite them to church?

I read a poll in the  Florida Baptist witness that 80% of all saved Christians today were invited to church for the first time.

But you see we do not want to offend anybody.

We live in the United States of the offended.

When was the last time you brought someone to church!

I want you to write down this word.

Distracted ---- Drawn apart; drawn in different directions; diverted from its object.

(Noah Webster 1828)

We get distracted from our purpose!!!!

I know you have heard why we are here and some refuse to believe it and others are happy letting others do it for them.

But I will say this until the Lord sees fit to take me home.

But we were created to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Period!!!!!!

And if you are saved and have had your name written in the lambs book of life satan can not take you away but he can distract you.

I want to ask you are you, ARE YOU DISTRACTED?

We get so caught up in every day life we forget.

I have heard it said well the bible says we win so why do I have to do anything.

Church this is our Holy duty to spread the good news of our Lord and Savior!!!!

Let’s look at v32   

  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.”

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*/ /*Since Jesus did not explain this parable we must use what He said in the other parables to find the meaning.

The birds in the parable of the sower represent satan.

Then in passages like [Dan 4:12 and Ezekiel 17:23] shows that a tree is a symbol of a world power.

The tree offers rest and shade along with food for all who will come to rest under it, but the birds or demons who rest in its’ branches are waiting  to snatch away the seed that falls to the wayside.

So to sum up the parable of the mustard seed is that Jesus may be saying is that what does not look like much to the world will in fact fulfill all Gods promises.

Now quickly  let’s look at the next parable

Matthew 13:33-34 */Parable of the Leaven/*

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.”

In this parable Jesus is comparing *the kingdom of heaven *to *yeast *(leaven) which, when *mixed into a large amount of flour, *continues to work till all *the dough *is permeated, or mixed, or blended well.

The word Leaven here represents or is symbolic of evil doctrine or practices.

It produces fermentation, which is a decay process; If we go back to Genesis Death and Decay are the precise features of Gods great curse on the earth because of sin.

And in the book of Leviticus in the rules of the offerings, for this reason no offering will be made with leaven.

Lev 2:11

 11 ‘No grain offering which you bring to the Lord shall be made with leaven, for you shall burn no leaven nor any honey in any offering to the Lord made by fire.

Even the Passover had to be observed with unleavened bread.

So the spreading of leaven represents the corrupting influence of even a small amount of false doctrine.

In Galatians 5:9

 9  A little leaven leavens the whole lump.

1coranthians 5:6-8

6  Your glorying /is/ not good.

Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?

7Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened.

For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.

8 Therefore let us keep the feast,  not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened /bread/ of sincerity and truth.

This passage says to purge out or to clean out the old leaven or sin in your life.

To let go of your past and let Christ Jesus wash you clean.

Wash away the blackness of you heart and start pure as snow.

And lastly v33 says three measures of meal---the three measures of meal refer to the three tenths of fine flour in Lev 14:10 which were specified for the offerings.

The women in this passage is preparing such an offering and hid “leaven” the meal.

The meal offering was actually a type of Christ, bringing life to the world, but His work is being corrupted by the worlds leaven.

John 6:33

 *33 *For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

Finally v33 says “the whole was leaven”

 Both the growing of the mustard seed and spreading leaven symbolically means that as the outward kingdom grows, both it’s membership and doctrine will become corrupted.

But the true spiritual kingdom will always be a little flock as in

Luke 12:33

*32 */r/// “Fear not, little //flock, for //it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you //the kingdom.

But we will always be surrounded by wolves..

The bible says that even upon Christ return, that it will be difficult to find “real faith on earth” {Luke 18:8}

            The meaning of these two parables is not that the whole world will be converted through evangelism, but just the ones who take hold of HIS words and listen with an open heart.

We do not know who will or will not except His word so we must tell everyone the good news.

Ask everyone you know to come to church with you or ask a total stranger to come to church.

Remember 80% of all converted Christians were invited to church by someone.

That is my challenge to you, is to ask one person each week to come with you to church, form a relationship with someone and light them see God through you.

If you are willing to step out of your comfort zone and into the mission field and take me up on this challenge when the music plays you come up front and I will pray with you.

IF YOU DO NOT KNOW CHRIST and want to for the very first time, do not let this opportunity pass you by, and if your looking for a great church home and God has lead you here you come up so we can welcome you to our family.

So as we stand and sing you come today.

\\ ----

/r// /Isai.

41:14; 44:2