(Brasscia Niga)-A Lesson from the Mustard Seed

-Mark 4:1-9

Mark 4:1–9 (CSB)

1 Again he began to teach by the sea, and a very large crowd gathered around him. So he got into a boat on the sea and sat down, while the whole crowd was by the sea on the shore. 2 He taught them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them, 3 “Listen! Consider the sower who went out to sow. 4 As he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it grew up quickly, since the soil wasn’t deep. 6 When the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it didn’t produce fruit. 8 Still other seed fell on good ground and it grew up, producing fruit that increased thirty, sixty, and a hundred times.” 9 Then he said, “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen.”

Mark 4:13–20 (CSB)

13 Then he said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand all of the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 Some are like the word sown on the path. When they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word sown in them. 16 And others are like seed sown on rocky ground. When they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy. 17 But they have no root; they are short-lived. When distress or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately fall away. 18 Others are like seed sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word, 19 but the worries of this age, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20 And those like seed sown on good ground hear the word, welcome it, and produce fruit thirty, sixty, and a hundred times what was sown.”

-Nothingness?

Hindu Teaching from

(The Chhandogya Upanishadby Swami Krishnananda

https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/chhand/ch_2f.html)

All know that the banyan tree is very large but the fruit is so small and the seed is atomic.

"Bring one fruit," says the father to the son. The boy runs and brings a small fruit of that huge expanse of the tree called banyan, and says, "here is the fruit, my father."

"split it, break the fruit into pieces," says the father. "I have broken it," he replies .

"now what do you see inside it?" asks the father. The boy says, "I see small granules. very small seeds I see inside the fruit, very tiny, atomic seeds are there," says the son.

“now you split one small seed," says the father.

"yes, I have split it," he says.

"now inside that very little atomic seed, what do you see?" the father asks.

"I do not see anything," says the boy.

"You are that."

Do you believe that?

That we are all a part of this nothingness?

Just floating around until our fleshly bodies return to the dust from whence it came?

Just to join the rest of the nothingness that, according to this illustration?

Me neither.

I suppose it would be easier to believe this is true.

This way we would not have to give an account for what we did with our time on earth.

We could live how we wanted, do what we wanted, have relationships with whom w wanted, etc. without consequence

Although at times we may feel like we are surrounded, or even trapped inside a great big ball of nothingness.

-Christians know where we come from

We as Christians know where we come from. And its the opposite of nothing.

We come from the one who is everything.

If we take the simple illustration of the chicken or the egg,

“What came first?”

We who believe in God know the answer to that question. According to the book of Genesis, the Chicken came first.

Then the chicken produced chickens after its own kind.

Likewise with all of the rest of creation.

We are supposed to reproduce.

So, we come down to the question,

What have we been doing since the day that we accepted Jesus into our lives?

This is not to throw stones, this is designed to awaken your understanding of our responsibilities.

-Jesus expects growth

You see when we examine what this parable says, it expects growth.

Mark 4:8 (CSB)

8 Still other seed fell on good ground and it grew up, producing fruit that increased thirty, sixty, and a hundred times.”

So, have we grown?

Have you grown as a Christian?

Here is how you can tell, because Jesus explains it for us in

Mark 4:20 (CSB)

20 And those like seed sown on good ground hear the word, welcome it, and produce fruit thirty, sixty, and a hundred times what was sown.”

So, how do we measure up against this expectation?

Have we produced fruit in the name of Jesus?

Or would we be considered to be some of the previously mentioned seeds, that got choked by the cares of this world, etc?

You say, “Well I have been a Christian for a long time.”

That’s great, let’s see your fruit.

To be fair, the fruit that is produced can be very different than others. It can be unique to you.

You may have been blessed with a talent for

Painting art

Managing money

Mechanical instincts

The point is, are you producing fruit with it?

-Your blessings are to bless others

We fail to understand that God blesses for one reason, to be a blessing to others

Brothers and Sisters of Anna First and around the world, I believe we are living in a time in history where the need has never been greater than right now, to produce this fruit for the Kingdom of heaven.

If you haven’t been producing fruit, or if you aren’t sure you are or how to, then let this message serve as a wake-up call to you.

You need to STEP IT UP.

Jesus is coming back soon.

Just last week at 12:07pm Murphysboro, IL. lost a titan of the faith.

Last week we asked you to pray for this same pastor and his family, and not long after that prayer, he went on to be with Jesus,

Thereby bringing an end to his earthly ministry.

No doubt presently being embraced in the arms of our Creator, while hearing the sweet words of,

“Well done thou good and faithful servant.” Matthew 25:21&23

-A lesson from The Ten Talents

In the parable that Jesus gave about the Ten Talents, given among the servants of a man who went away and charged the servants to make good use of the resources while he was away.

The Bible tells us that when the Master of the house returned, each man had to give an account.

To the ones that made good of the talents, were told these words,

“Well done thou good and faithful servant.”

But to the one that didn’t do anything with the money, but dug a hole in the ground to return it the way he found it type of thing,

The Master cursed him and did away with him.

Why?

For not producing fruit with the hard earned investment.

How many here own a car?

How many here own more than one car?

Ok, each one of you who raised their hands, give me that car

Why not?

Because I don’t deserve it?

Because It cost too much?

But mostly, because its yours, you’ve earned it. It cost you something didn’t it?

My father always taught us growing up this one important principle that I try to live by.

“No one will ever care for your things as much as you do.”

I remembered this lesson many years ago while still in the Trades, I was asked by the boss to loan my electric saw to another worker for the day.

Reluctantly I obliged. Those that know me, know that I tend to keep my things as new and ready as possible.

But when I got my saw back, it was nasty and grimy, covered in filth, soot, and oil.

I was so angry, but when I said something about it, they threw me a towel as thought that would satisfy me.

Well friends, this salvation that Jesus provided for you, was brand new.

No one, not one, ever died for you, then came back to life for you. All so you can be with Him forever in paradise.

When your time comes to give an account for the salvation he has given you, in what condition will He find His investment in?

Now, you may be asking yourself, How can we produce fruit for Jesus?

For that answer, let’s go back then to another parable Jesus gave about growing and seeds,

-Examine the parable of the Mustard Seed

Let’s examine the parable of the Mustard seed.

Mark 4:30–32 (CSB)

30 And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to describe it? 31 It’s like a mustard seed that, when sown upon the soil, is the smallest of all the seeds on the ground. 32 And when sown, it comes up and grows taller than all the garden plants, and produces large branches, so that the birds of the sky can nest in its shade.”

Here we are told that the mustard seed is the among the smallest of the seeds.

Slide - Mustard Seed

But, when it is fully grown, it becomes so large that it provides multiple benefits, even shade for birds.

Slide - Mustard Tree

When asked about why the disciples couldn’t successfully, Jesus said in

Matthew 17:20 (CSB)

20 “… he told them. “For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Wow, that is a powerful statement with a promise.

If you have faith the size of a small seed, it will move mountains.

How is that even possible?

Because, like that little seed being surrounded by all the other bigger kinds and seemingly more important types of other seeds in your life,

When it comes in, its so small and seemingly insignificant at the time because you have so many other things going on in your life that trick you into thinking that they should take priority in your life.

So like the unsuccessful disciples, the seed of faith that was planted in you remains too small to make any real difference in your life.

That’s why you aren’t producing any fruit, and have become or even worse yet, remain unproductive in your walk with Christ.

Because this little, tiny seed was planted in your life, you accepted it as good, but it never grew and matured. You have too many other things going on in your life that has stolen the attention and committment necessary for that little seed to become a huge deal in your life.

It’s almost as if a gift was given to you, and you stuffed it away in your drawer, forgotten.

But, as the Bible tells us when the little seed is sown on good soil, it grows, matures and produced much.

The tiny little mustard seed of faith when sown in your life and allowed to grow and is nurtured, it grows from what was a tiny little aspect in your life into a huge tree that encompasses every area of your life,

It becomes so big in fact, that it takes priority over every area of your life.

When allowed to grow and mature, it becomes so big that not only does it make you a fruit producing titan, but it also provides a benefit to others, like the shade to the birds in the parable.

The seed of faith that was planted in you when you accepted Christ, regardless of how long ago it was, needs to produce fruit.

If you have decided to follow Jesus, Then hear me.

We are living in a time of unprecedented change and rapid acceleration toward what the Bible calls the “End Times”

-The time is now to cultivate and nurture that seed of faith

The time is now to cultivate and nurture that seed of faith that has been freely given.

Its time to allow that seed in you to grow into the massive tree and begin to benefit others by using the gifts or the talents that the Lord ha blessed you with in order that you may be a blessing to others.

If you are blessed with wisdom, then give wisdom

If with love then love more.

If with teaching, then teach more.

If with money then give more,

If with evangelizing, then for heavens sake, evangelize more

If with music, then use it for the Glory of God

If with cooking, then use it for the benefit of others

If with free time, then use it for the Glory of God, and the church

What ever your gift or talent is, let it grow and mature along with your faith, so that when the Master does come and its your turn to give an account, you will have something meaningful to give Him.