Mysteries Of The Kingdom-2-The Mustard Seed

Tonight we continue our midweek series Mysteries Of The Kingdom.

This evening Pastor Brad teaches on The Parable Of The Mustard Seed.

Pastor's Notes:

Matthew 13:31-32(NKJV)
SCRIPTURE
Matthew 13:31-32  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."
INTRODUCTION
Good evening, everybody!
I certainly hoped you enjoyed last week as we started this brand new series entitled “Mysteries Of The Kingdom”. We are going to look at what the Scriptures tell us about the Kingdom Jesus so often spoke about.
Last week, we looked at the parable of the spoil. This week, I will teach you on “The Parable of the Mustard Seed”.
Read the text with me one more time.
Matthew 13:31-32  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."

1. THE MUSTARD SEED
- THE PLANT ITSELF...
     1. The mustard plant is well known for its hot-flavored seeds
     2. Among seeds sown in a garden it was generally the smallest
     3. As a plant, it reaches ten, sometimes fifteen feet in height
     4. In the fall of the year, its branches have become rigid, and the plant often serves as a shelter for birds of many kinds
        - PROVERBIAL USES OF THE MUSTARD SEED...
     1. The mustard seed was used frequently to describe anything that is small in its beginning
     2. Jesus used it on another occasion to describe one's faith -cf. Mt 17:20
[With this understanding of the mustard plant and its seeds, perhaps we are better able to appreciate the meaning of the parable itself

2. THE MEANING OF THE PARABLE
 - THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN WOULD HAVE A SMALL BEGINNING...
     1. Old Testament prophecy foretold this:
        a. Concerning the Messiah - cf. Isa 11:1; Isa 53:2-3
        b. Concerning the kingdom - cf. Dan 2:35; Is 60:22(starting out as a stone, becoming a great mountain)
- BUT ITS TREMENDOUS GROWTH WOULD BE ITS HUMBLE BEGINNINGS...
     1. Just as the "small stone" of Dan 2:35  "became a great mountain and filled the whole earth"
     2. The growth of the church in the first century A.D. certainly confirmed the truth of Jesus' parable
        a. The 120 disciples grew to over 3000 just in one day - Acts 2:41-42
        b. It was soon about 5000 - Acts 4:4
        c. The number of the disciples continued to "multiply"
           1) In Jerusalem - Acts 6:7
           2) Throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria – Acts 9:31
        d. Years later, there were "myriads" of believers just in Jerusalem alone - Acts 21:20
     3. Even today, we see the growth and influence of the kingdom of heaven in lives of believers around the world!
 -  IT'S GROWTH WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO THE WORLD...
     1. In the parable, Jesus spoke of how "the birds of the air come and nest in its branches"
     2. What did Jesus mean?  He does not say, but the kingdom of God is certainly a blessing to all who take refuge in its "branches"
        a. Ex. "for the kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" - Rom 14:17
        b. To those seeking rest for their weary souls, the King offers His tender invitation to come to Him and enter His kingdom of rest - Mt 11:28-30
What about today?  The Kingdom of Heaven continues to grow and spread out its branches to those who will accept it, certainly.  But can we ever expect growth similar to the first century?
Consider a few thoughts about...]
3. THE GROWTH OF THE KINGDOM TODAY
-  THERE IS THE "MATHEMATICAL POSSIBILITY"...
     1. Beginning with just twenty disciples, each converting just one
        person a year, and their converts doing the same...
     2. ...the growth would be like a mustard seed!
        a. End of year  1 - 40
        b. End of year  5 - 640
        c. End of year 10 - 20,480
        d. End of year 15 - 655,360
        e. End of year 20 - 20,971,520
        f. End of year 25 - 1,342,177,280
     -- All it takes is for each person to bring one soul to Christ each and every year!
Look at the AG stats………
The Assemblies of God (AG), officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 140 autonomous but loosely associated national groupings of churches which together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination.[2] With over 300,000 ministers and outstations in over 212 countries and territories serving approximately 57 to 60 million adherents worldwide,[3][4][5] it is the sixth largest international Christian group of denominations.[6]
That’s just AG……not Baptist, Methodist, etc.
-  THERE IS CERTAINLY THE "SPIRITUAL POSSIBILITY"...
     1. We have the same "seed" of the kingdom, the Word of God!
        a. A "seed" which is incorruptible, that lives and abides forever - 1 Peter 1:23-25
        b. A "seed" capable of producing what God intends - Isaiah 55:10-11
     2. While the first two parables remind us that not all will accept the Word of God, this parable declares that the kingdom will grow!

CONCLUSION