Gaining Ground

The Parables of Jesus  •  Sermon  •  Submitted
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Scripture Reading

Luke 13:20–21 NET
Again he said, “To what should I compare the kingdom of God?It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of flour until all the dough had risen.”
Ecclesiastes 10:7 NKJV
I have seen servants on horses, While princes walk on the ground like servants.
Morning and Evening Morning, May 19

When our Lord was upon earth, although he is the Prince of the kings of the earth, yet he walked the footpath of weariness and service as the Servant of servants: what wonder is it if his followers, who are princes of the blood, should also be looked down upon as inferior and contemptible persons? The world is upside down, and therefore, the first are last and the last first.

The Bread of Life

My Cooking

I am often asked, do I cook?
I like to respond, “Define Cooking?”
I also now quote a phrase I heard some time ago
“A man who cooks is wonderful, but a man that cleans up is extraordinary”.
I fall into the latter category, so I am extraordinary.
As for the man that does both, please, just keep quiet.
We don’t need to know. TMI.
But my wife is such a person. I am truly blessed.
When Pearl asked me to do a Veg cooking demo, well it was with much fear and trepidation that I agreed and the hour came.

Jesus uses a Cooking Demo for the Kingdom of God

In the parable today, Jesus uses cooking demo.
Jesus uses ingredients and a verbal cooking “demo” to illustrate spiritual truth.
His list of ingredients is huge, enough to feed over 100 people.
That would have got people’s attention.
You can just imagine that diverse, listening crowd.
And Jesus uses the most common of stable foods.
Bread
Who does not like Bread?

The Parable of the Leaven

We read,
(Slide)
Luke 13:20–21 NKJV
And again He said, “To what shall I liken the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.”
But Jesus also does something unique here.

Yeast or Leaven as a symbol of Sin

But Jesus does something different here.
We are used to thinking of Yeast or Leaven in terms of its pervasiveness.
In spiritual matters, we are used to thinking of Yeast or Leaven as a symbol of the pervasiveness of sin
In , we read,
(Slide)
Matthew 16:6 NKJV
Then Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”
The communion bread, with which we celebrate the Lord’s supper, is flat, without leaven, to represent the sinless perfection of Jesus.
So we are used to thinking of purity as the absence of Yeast or Leaven.

Yeast or Leaven as a symbol of the Kingdom of God

But here Jesus uses the symbolic nature of leaven or yeast in a completely different way!
He used the making of one of the most common foods to illustrate,
BTW, that is a warning to us because we can get too hung up on the symbol and not the truth the Lord is trying to get through to us.
Jesus uses Yeast or Leaven to illustrate something different.
Something extraordinary.
Something extraordinary.
To illustrate something extraordinary.
Something that is hidden in may ways.
Something mysterious.
Something we can put our faith in.
That is, the Kingdom of God!
Within us, yes.
But also, and maybe more importantly here, at its consummation, at the end of this present age, when Jesus comes again.
When the Kingdom of God will be visible to all.
When there will be a “large leavened mass”
One writer says,
The main point seems to be comparing how it starts (small amount of yeast in large amount of flour), to what it will be like, when the harvest comes, “a large leavened mass”.
Just as in the parable of The Mustard Seed, it starts with the the small seed and becomes a great tree.

Our world is upside down

In Ecclesiastes we read,
(Slide)
Ecclesiastes 10:7 NKJV
I have seen servants on horses, While princes walk on the ground like servants.
Our world is upside down!
When our Lord was on earth, although he is the Prince of the kings of the earth, yet he walked the footpath of weariness and service, as the servant of servant.
The first are last and the last are first.
Our world is upside down.
Morning and Evening Morning, May 19

Haman is in the court, while Mordecai sits in the gate; David wanders on the mountains, while Saul reigns in state; Elijah is complaining in the cave while Jezebel is boasting in the palace

Morning and Evening Morning, May 19

Haman is in the court, while Mordecai sits in the gate; David wanders on the mountains, while Saul reigns in state; Elijah is complaining in the cave while Jezebel is boasting in the palace

Our world is upside down!
What we see today is not the whole story.

Gaining Grond

A little mustard seed will become the largest tree and home for all.
The little yeast will eventually work through the bread to make more than enough to feed many people.
What we see is not the reality or the true picture.
There is so much we do not see or understand.
Such calls for waiting, and faith, and patient, and perseverance.
Let the yeast work through all the flour.
Let the tree grow from that tiny mustard seed.
Isaiah 25:9 NKJV
And it will be said in that day: “Behold, this is our God; We have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord; We have waited for Him; We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.”
Such calls for believing steadfastness.
The Lord will accomplish all this and more.
That is why I called today’s sermon “Gaining Ground”
Isaiah 25:9 NKJV
And it will be said in that day: “Behold, this is our God; We have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord; We have waited for Him; We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.”

Digging Ditches

Digging Ditches

Let us look at an account in 2 Kings
called the divided kingdom.
Set during the period when Judah and Israel were part of what is now called the divided kingdom.
2 Kings 3:9–10 NKJV
So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom, and they marched on that roundabout route seven days; and there was no water for the army, nor for the animals that followed them. And the king of Israel said, “Alas! For the Lord has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.”
(Slide)

Map of Judah, Israel, Edom and Moab

King of Israel, King of Judah and King of Edom
Go to sort our the rebellious Moabites.
By the roundabout route.
Jerusalem, Dead Sea
Dry and hot place!
(Slide)

Warning as Enemy Territory

But they hit a huge logistical problem.
They had no water for the army.
(Slide
We can be sure that when we are going into enemy territory, trouble will come.
When we are trying to gain ground for the Lord, trouble with come.
We dedicate our lives to the Lord, but soon trouble comes.
We rededicate our lives to the Lord, we put aside something the Lord has been convicting us about, we pray and expect all will get better, but instead, trouble comes!
When we are gaining ground, when we are moving into enemy territory, when we are messing with the status quo, it can get very messy.
Trouble comes.
Satan does not like us messing with his stuff.
Satan loves the status quo of “pseudo Faith”.
But when we start to get serious, take that step in faith, say that apology, write that letter, break that habit, start to mess in Satan’s territory, trouble comes.
But Jesus has overcome.
Deliverance not from Troubles, but in the midst of troubles.
Delivereance in the storm, not from the storm

Full of Ditches

The Lord can often bring us to our wits end on what to do in a situation or with besetting sin.
The Kings go to the Prophet of God, Elisha.
And Elisha says to them,
(Slide)
2 Kings 3:16–18 NKJV
And he said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Make this valley full of ditches.’ For thus says the Lord: ‘You shall not see wind, nor shall you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, so that you, your cattle, and your animals may drink.’ And this is a simple matter in the sight of the Lord; He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand.
2 Kings 3:
“Make this valley full of ditches”.
Let me get this right.
We are tried.
We came the roundabout way for 7 days.
We are thirsty.
And now you want us to dig is this hot and barren place, this dessert?
And you want us to dig ditches?
Has God ever asked you to do something that seems crazy, even pointless?

The Water is Coming

But wait for it.
We are gaining Ground here.
The Promise is given.
(Slide)
2 Kings 3:17–18 NKJV
For thus says the Lord: ‘You shall not see wind, nor shall you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, so that you, your cattle, and your animals may drink.’ And this is a simple matter in the sight of the Lord; He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand.
2 Kings 3:17 NKJV
For thus says the Lord: ‘You shall not see wind, nor shall you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, so that you, your cattle, and your animals may drink.’
2 Kings 3:
The water is coming.
There will not be rain.
But the water is coming.
Believe and make believing preparations for the Lord’s blessing.
The people were to make believing preparations for the Lord’s blessing.
Gaining ground is about making believing preparations for the Lord.
The yeast will work through all the flour.
“Make this valley full of ditches”.
Make believing preparations and “Make this valley full of ditches”.
The yeast is spreading. We may not see it, but the yeast is spreading throughout the flour.
BTW, The Lord says he will also deliver the moabites into your hand, and that is an easy thing for Him!
Can I ask something?
Where is the Lord asking you, asking us, asking this church, to dig ditches?
To make believing preparations for the Kingdom of God?
To “gain some ground” for the Lord!

Our Faith pleases the Lord

(Slide)
I deliberately use the term “Believing Preparations”
Believing Preparations are the precursor to Gaining Ground with the Lord.
We read in Hebrews,
(Slide)
Hebrews 11:6 NKJV
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
NKJVBut without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Our Faith in God is “PLEASING” to God.
Our steadfastness in Faith pleases God.
God as made us free moral agents.
And it pleases Him when we chose to believe him and take him at his word!
That is gaining ground for the Lord!
(Slide)

Believing Preparations and Gaining Ground

Believing Preparations are the precursor to Gaining Ground with the Lord.

God’s Working

Then we read,
(Slide)
NKJVNow it happened in the morning, when the grain offering was offered, that suddenly water came by way of Edom, and the land was filled with water.
2 Kings 3:20 NKJV
Now it happened in the morning, when the grain offering was offered, that suddenly water came by way of Edom, and the land was filled with water.
There was no great visible rainfall, this time.
But the divine promise was fulfilled.
As the grain offering was made.
You have to think grain was scare by this time.
Yet they offered it, in thanks and showing there complete dependence o God.
And, In a silent and mysterious ways, the pools were filled with water.
And lets us observe the abundance of His provision.
“The Land was filled with water”.
BTW
(Slide)

Dig a Ditch

Where is the Lord asking you, asking us, asking this church, to “Dig a ditch” ?
To Make believing preparations?
To disturb the status quo of the Enemy?
Gaining ground for the Lord.
Refusing the status quo and principles of this world
In our families, in our lives, in our church, in our community?
It can imply some work and effort.
Doing our part. Gaining Ground.
But it can also mean sharing that burden, that situation, that relationship, that besetting sin, with the Lord.
Let Him fill that ditch is His way and his time.
And believe He will do it.

“Wrong” Ditches

What about “those ditches” in our life?
Those wrong ditches in our lives?
Those mistaken ditches in our lives?
Those sad ditches in our lives?
Those difficult ditches in our lives?
That relationship ditch in our life?
What about them?
Those we wish we had not dug.

The Lord’s Prayer

We conclude today with the Lord’s Prayer.
(Slide)

Your Kingdom Come

Matthew 6:9–13 NKJV
In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
We conclude today with the Lord’s Prayer.
In it, we read,
“Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.”
In many ways, this pray will be only be fully answered at the consummation of this present age.
When the large leavened mass is finally ready.
That is the teaching of today’s parable.
The Kingdom of God will come in all its fullness.
Faith that believes, is please to the Lord.
Faith that makes believing preparations, is pleasing to the Lord.
Just as the water came and filled those ditches to overflowing.
Gaining Ground for the Lord, through Believing Preparations for the Lord, is pleasing to the Lord.
“Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.”

Gaining Ground.
What a calling we have!
What a kingdom we belong to.
What a high calling and privilege we have as the household of God.
What a future we will have!
For those of you who have been coming along to our Monday night study, ywe have talked about such things.
For we are part of the Kingdom of God, The Household of God and the Temple of God.
We are that now, and we will see that fully realised by and by.
Though it tarry, wait for it, with the eye of Faith that pleases the Lord.

The Lord’s Prayer

The Lord’s prayer contains a well known phrase
“Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven”
It is all about the Lord gain ground in enemy territory.
The Yeast will work through the flour
Soon the leavened mass will be read.
We will sing our closing song “Ancient Words”
And then together let us all say the Lord’s prayer as our benediction today.
Matthew 6:9–13 NKJV
In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
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