Kingdom Parables

Introduction

Luke 13:18–21 ESV

He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.” And again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.”

Explanation

Width - The Kingdom of God grows outward and upward.

The Kingdom of God increases heart by heart and person by person.

Notice, I did not say nation by nation. God did not make a covenant with the United States of America. God made a covenant with the church. The Kingdom of God is his pushing back the darkness in the hearts of man more than it is a military coup.

Voluntary Permeability

Apologetics is the study of defending the faith. It is an entire Christian discipline. One of the arguments that could be made of Christianity and its efficacy is its “voluntary permeability.”

Christianity infects other places - in a good way! And in its best form, Christianity brings out the best of a culture.

Christianity continues to grow in many parts of the world.

It is shrinking in the USA and the Western World. The only places it is growing is in communities where folks have moved from Africa/Asia to Europe and have started churches and evangelized the people there.

In Africa it is growing rapidly. Almost half of the worlds population of Christians could be in Africa by 2050.

In China it is growing. 93,000,000 Chinese would now call themselves Christians.

In South America, the church is thriving and growing. Seminaries, hospitals, and orphanages are being built.

One of my seminary professors at MBTS said that by the time we retire, the central educational nexus of Christianity will shift away from the USA.

USA seminaries, publishing groups, etc. are unrivalled in the world. But at the shrinking of Christianity in the USA and the growth of theologians of other nations, your SS curriculum could one day be translated from an African or Asian language into English instead of the other way around.

We have a role to play in these initiatives.

We preach the word, and we grow the kingdom.

A church in our state started asking thier church to have gospel conversations, and they baptized 10 people this past Sunday.

Depth - The Kingdom of God grows inward and through.

Jesus says as much later in his parable on the Kingdom of God.

Jesus will absolutely infect in the best way, every portion of your life.

What is one part of your life that Christ has changed in you that you never expected him to change?

Once the gospel gets ahold of you, it doesn’t let go.

Luke 17:20–21 ESV

Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”

Invitation