OUR JERUSALEM IS NOT OPTIONAL

OUR JERUSALEM IS NOT OPTIONAL 

The Reach Project — Mission Sunday 

Main Text: Matthew 13:31–33 

Supporting: Matthew 28:18–20  ·  Acts 1:8  ·  Matthew 5:13–16 

Big Idea: The Kingdom grows as Christ’s reign takes root at home, in the church, and in our own Jerusalem — and from there spreads outward to the nations. 

Introduction.  We Need to Understand What We Saw 

This weekend was not just a work weekend. 

30+ projects completed across Grant Parish.  ~70 workers showed up Friday.  100+ showed up yesterday.  $600 and a few men with a burden → ~$7,000 → $50,000+ worth of work. 

We should not rush past that. We should give thanks to God for that. 

But we also need to interpret it rightly. 

A couple years ago, prayers have been prayed that the gospel would begin to affect this community in visible ways — not merely that churches would gather on Sunday, but that the reign of Christ would show up in homes, roads, families, neighbors, mercy, service, unity, witness, and love. Sept 2024 

This weekend: beginning fruit. Not a full harvest. Beginning fruit. 

It is a seed beginning to break the ground.  It is leaven beginning to work through the lump.  It is salt making contact.  It is light going public. 

The question this morning is not: “Was this weekend successful?” 

➤ The question is: “What is God showing us?” 

Our Jerusalem is not optional. 

I.  The Kingdom Often Begins Small 

Matthew 13:31–32 

“The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed…” 

That is not how men think about kingdoms. Men think kingdoms start with power, noise, armies, wealth, and immediate results. 

Jesus says His Kingdom is like seed. Small. Unimpressive. Easy to overlook. But living. 

Sometimes it begins with a prayer.  Sometimes it begins with a burden.  Sometimes it begins with a few men asking, “What can we do?”  Sometimes it begins with $600. 

That is how this started. Not a massive budget. Not a polished organization. Not a professional campaign. 

$600 → $7,000 → $50,000+ worth of work.  30+ projects. Workers. Churches together. Homes touched. Neighbors seen. 

We are not saying “Look how impressive we are.” 

➤  We are saying, “Look how kind God has been.” 

Do not despise small beginnings.  Do not despise small churches.  Do not despise quiet prayers.  Do not despise a few faithful men with a burden.  Do not despise ordinary obedience. 

➤  Small is not insignificant when Christ is the One giving the increase. 

II.  The Kingdom Grows Into Visible Fruit 

Matthew 13:32 

“…when it has grown it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree…” 

The point is not that the seed stays small. The point is that the seed grows. 

3–4 years ago: prayer.  This weekend: hands, feet, ladders, trailers, meals, tools, churches cooperating. 

➤  When the Kingdom grows, prayers become people, people become servants, servants become witnesses. 

Do not rush past it. Do not minimize it. Do not treat it as merely a nice thing some churches did. 

God let us taste beginning fruit. But do not confuse beginning fruit with finished harvest. 

➤  Yes, we celebrate. But we also ask: “Lord, keep growing it.” 

III.  The Kingdom Works Like Leaven 

Matthew 13:33 

“The kingdom of heaven is like leaven…” 

Leaven works quietly. Hidden in the flour. At first, nothing looks like it’s happening. But it works. It spreads. It affects the whole lump. 

Roofs and floors and yards are not the Kingdom by themselves. 

A roof cannot save.  A floor cannot raise the dead.  Landscaping cannot forgive sins. 

But when the people of Christ step into those needs in the name of Christ, with the love of Christ, and with witness to Christ — those ordinary works become visible signs that the gospel is not locked inside a building. 

Christ claims all of it. 

He claims the home.  He claims the church.  He claims the neighbor.  He claims the road.  He claims the parish.  He claims the nations. 

➤  The Kingdom works like leaven because Christ is not content to rule in theory. He reigns in reality. 

IV.  The Great Commission Is Both Global and Local 

Matthew 28:18–20 

“All authority has been given to Me… Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…” 

That is global. Do not shrink it. The gospel must go to Honduras, Africa, Asia, the ends of the earth. 

This is not an argument against foreign missions. It is both/and, not either/or. 

But the Great Commission does not float above actual places. It lands somewhere. 

Nations are made up of homes.  Nations are made up of families.  Nations are made up of churches.  Nations are made up of neighbors. 

So how do you disciple the nations? You teach real people in real places to obey the real King. 

A father discipling his children — Great Commission work.  A church preaching the Word faithfully — Great Commission work.  Men visiting the jail with the gospel — Great Commission work.  A crew replacing a roof and bearing witness to Christ — Great Commission work. 

➤  The nations are discipled from the ground up. 

➤  The Great Commission reaches the world, but it does not skip the home, the church, or the neighbor. 

V.  The Great Commission Does Not Skip Jerusalem 

Acts 1:8 

“You shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the end of the earth.” 

Matthew 28 gives the scope: all nations.  Acts 1 gives the movement: Jerusalem first. 

We do not have to choose between Honduras and Grant Parish. 

But we do have to repent if we can see needs in Honduras more clearly than we see needs down the road. 

If we can organize workers to go across the sea — surely we can serve across the parish.  If we can care about a leaking roof in another country — surely we can care about one in our community.  If we can call it mission over there — we should call it mission here. 

Jerusalem for us includes: 

our homes, our churches, our roads, our parish,  our neighbors, our shut-ins, our elderly, our hurting families,  our jail, our schools, our workplaces, our actual community. 

This weekend did not create our Jerusalem. It reminded us that we have one. 

The people were already here.  The needs were already here.  The lost were already here.  The mission field was already here. 

➤  This weekend simply opened our eyes. 

You do not disciple the nations by neglecting your home.  You do not disciple the nations by ignoring your church.  You do not disciple the nations by forgetting your Jerusalem. 

Our Jerusalem is not optional. 

VI.  Salt Must Make Contact and Light Must Shine 

Matthew 5:13–16 

“You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world.” 

Salt must stay distinct — but salt must also make contact.  Salt that never touches anything preserves nothing.  Light must shine. A hidden light contradicts its purpose. 

This weekend, we saw salt make contact. We saw light go public. 

~70 Friday. 100+ Saturday.  Some gave. Some organized. Some cooked. Some prayed.  Some carried tools. Some climbed ladders. Some worked in the heat.  Some did work nobody will ever know about. 

➤  Your labor matters. Scripture says your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 

“That they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” 

The goal is not: “Look at those churches.” The goal is: “Glory to the Father.” 

➤  Good works are windows. People should see through them to the Father. 

Celebrate the work. Honor the workers. Give thanks for the projects. 

➤  But do not let the good works terminate on us. 

VII.  This Must Be the Beginning, Not the End 

The danger after a weekend like this: we say “We did it.” 

➤  The better response: “Lord, keep growing it.” 

20+ projects — worth celebrating. But there are more than 20 needs.  100+ workers — worth celebrating. But there is more work to do.  The money God provided — worth celebrating. But this is not the end. 

Let this be the beginning of: 

More prayer. More service. More churches working together.  More men stepping up. More homes touched. More children discipled.  More shut-ins visited. More widows remembered. More jail ministry.  More gospel conversations. More neighbors seen.  More good works that glorify the Father. 

➤  Mission is not an event we finish. It is Kingdom obedience we continue. 

Our Jerusalem is not optional. 

.  Gospel Landing 

Keep the gospel central. 

The deepest need in Grant Parish is not repaired roofs.  Not finished floors. Not cleaned yards.  The deepest need is Christ. 

Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. He lived the life we failed to live. He died under the judgment we deserve. He rose from the dead. He reigns now. 

So the call today is not merely: “Go serve.” 

➤  The call is: “Come to Christ, bow to the King, and then go in His name.” 

Come to Christ if you are lost.  Come to Christ if you are guilty.  Come to Christ if you have been near the church but far from God.  Come to Christ if you have never bowed to the King. 

➤  The Kingdom grows because the King lives. 

.  Closing Charge 

The Kingdom grows like seed.  The Kingdom works like leaven.  The Great Commission reaches the nations — but does not skip the home, the church, the neighbor, the parish. 

What was prayed years ago began to show visible fruit this weekend. 

30+ projects completed.  Workers showed up.  Churches served.  Needs were met.  God was kind. 

But this must not be the end. Let it be the beginning. 

The King has all authority.  The Spirit empowers.  The gospel works.  The nations must be discipled. 

And our Jerusalem is not optional. 

Let us pray. 

.  Closing Prayer 

Father, we thank You for what You have allowed us to see this weekend. Every worker, every gift, every tool, every meal, every prayer, every act of service, every open door, every home touched, every neighbor seen. 

Keep us from pride. Keep us from making much of ourselves. Let our good works be seen in such a way that You are glorified. 

Teach us not to despise small beginnings. Teach us to see our Jerusalem. Teach us to disciple our homes, serve our neighbors, love our community, and bear witness to Christ with courage and humility. 

Do not let this be the end. Make it the beginning of more prayer, more service, more gospel witness, more church cooperation, and more visible obedience to the reign of Christ. 

Save sinners. Strengthen churches. Encourage the weak. Awaken the careless. Comfort the hurting. And make the reign of Christ visible among us. 

We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, our risen and reigning King. Amen. 

Fairfield Baptist Church  ·  Dry Prong, Louisiana  ·  The Reach Project, September 20, 2026