God’s Word is at Work Among Us based on Mark 4:26-34

Let us pray: Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Amen.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I. Old Faithful. One of my favorite places to go is Yellowstone National Park. I especially like to go see the Old Faithful Geyser. When I first started visiting Old Faithful Geyser as a child the geyser would erupt about every 60 minutes. Now the geyser goes off about every 80 or 90 minutes. Seeing that geyser shoot water and steam high into the air is an amazing sight even though the geyser is not as regular as in the past. Old Faithful continues to erupt whether people are there to watch or not.

II. Read Mark 4:26-29 and comment. The first parable in the Gospel lesson in Mark 4 refers to something that is taken for granted, but still amazing. Jesus said in Mark 4:26-29, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

People today plant seeds into the ground and they expect those seeds to grow. Farmers in our area like to plant seeds, but they really like to harvest the plants after they are ripe for the harvest. Between the time of planting and harvesting farmers go about their regular routines. They go to sleep at night and they awake in the morning. They do their regular things and the seeds sprout and grow. They think rain and sunshine and warmth are needed for the seeds to sprout and grow. They do not really know how a seed grows, but they trust that the seeds will grow to maturity. Companies that sell seeds to farmers are worth millions of dollars and some are worth over a billion dollars. Certain soils are thought to be better for growing certain seeds. In the state of Iowa lots and lots of corn seeds are planted and harvested each year.

III. God’s Word is at work. God’s Word is similar. God’s Word is at work in our world. God’s Word is planted in the hearts of people as they hear that Word and as they read that Word. We do not really know how God’s Word works in people’s hearts. God’s Word changes the lives of people. God’s Word brings people to repent of their sins and wrongs. God’s Word comforts people with the good news of Jesus. God’s Word moves people to worship and praise God. God’s Word moves people to trust in God’s goodness and mercy. God’s Word moves people to attend worship services to gather with others who trust God’s mercy. God’s Word moves people to give their time and talents and treasure for the good of God’s kingdom on earth. God’s Word helps people get through the tough times of life.

IV. Read Mark 4:30-32 and comment. Next, Jesus tells the famous parable about the mustard seed. Mark 4:30–32 records Jesus’ words, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”

A tiny mustard seed turns into a large garden plant with large branches. By looking at the tiny mustard seed most people would have a hard time believing that a large garden plant around 10 feet in height would appear from that seed in a few weeks. God’s kingdom might seem tiny to the unbelievers in the world, but the end of time will reveal a huge number of believers in Jesus. Even among Christians in America today there is the temptation to think that we cannot do anything to change the world for the better. The unbelievers of the world seem too powerful and too evil for Christians to stand against them and make a positive difference.

V. Jesus and the twelve student disciples and LCMS then and now. Jesus and His group of twelve student disciples did not seem to be a big force for good around 2000 years ago. The LCMS was established in 1847 by Saxon and other German immigrants seeking the freedom to practice and follow confessional Lutheranism. Initial members included 12 pastors representing 14 congregations from Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, New York, Ohio and Wisconsin. Today, the LCMS has nearly 2 million baptized members in more than 6,000 congregations and some 9,000 pastors. A tiny mustard seed has turned into a large garden plant.

VI. Father’s Day memories. On this Father’s Day I remember some things about my dad when I was growing up. My dad was a basketball coach of an independent league basketball team in Mobridge, SD. My younger brother and I went to a lot of practices and games. We would shoot around with the players at the practices. A few years later when we lived in Billings, MT, my dad umpired for slow pitch softball games a couple nights a week and a lot of weekends during the summer. My brother and I ended up umpiring for slow pitch softball games after high school. Most important of all, my dad and mom regularly took us to worship services at Lutheran churches when we I was growing up. My dad was an elder at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church in Billings. I recall singing Easter hymns at church with my dad on Easter Sundays. My dad was an usher at that church and my brother and I were ushers at that church, too. My dad did not force me to go to college, but he visited me at Concordia College in Seward, NE, and at Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne, IN. My dad was not perfect. He had his struggles. He died from cancer while I was in my second year of studying to be a pastor.

VII. Conclusion. God’s blessing of Christian fathers is important still today. If you had a Christian father growing up who took you to worship services regularly, then give thanks to God. If your father did not take you to worship services much but still took good care of you, then thank God. If you are a Christian father today, then encourage your children to praise and worship God for the saving work of Jesus. You can have a good, Christian influence on your family and through the gracious working of God’s word big things can result from small beginnings like the growth of a mustard seed. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.