How Does God's Kingdom Grow?

“How Does God’s Kingdom Grow”

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It is very easy to look around at the world we live in and think that God’s kingdom is not growing!

It is easy to think that God’s kingdom is actually in decline. You may feel like you are in spiritual decline yourself.

We are troubled by the spread of evil in our society and we are grieved by the persecution of the church around the world.

We are burdened by the problems we have in ministry.

We are brokenhearted by our own struggle with sin and the backsliding we see in other believers.

The lack of spiritual progress makes us wonder about God’s kingdom.

Here in these verses Jesus teaching us about His Kingdom, and how it grows.

Today God’s kingdom is within the hearts of his people; and one day God’s kingdom will be established on this earth. (The kingdom is now…but not yet) We are prone to think that the kingdom of God must come in some big show, some big extravaganza. The disciples of Jesus thought he would overthrow the Roman government, and set up his throne on earth, and that his kingdom would begin in a big way. But that was not God’s plan.

Today, we think that God’s kingdom means turning our nation into a Christian nation, are our world into a Christian world.

But that is simply not what the Bible teaches; that is not the message of the gospel. While we are praying for revival, and a great awakening; we know that this world is marching toward Armageddon. And that we as believers are marching toward the coming kingdom of the Lord Jesus.

So if God’s kingdom does not grow in some big, huge, visible demonstration from heaven.

How does God’s Kingdom grow today?

1. By Reaching one Person at a Time.

V:10-13.

We’re told that Jesus was teaching in the synagogue on the Sabbath. Jesus always went to the synagogue on the Sabbath, -“As his custom was he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day…

Jesus did not wake up on the Sabbath, and decide if He was going to the synagogue or not. Jesus the perfect son of God went to the synagogue to worship his father, read the Bible, and the fellowship with God’s people. Jesus was faithful to a dead church all his life.

On this particular day in the synagogue there was in attendance a woman who was:

a. Crippled by Satan.

Dr. Luke says she was bound together, she was bent over double, and could not straighten herself up. Here was a lady who had a desperate need both physically and spiritually. Behind her physical disorder was the work of Satan. Some medical experts have theorized that she was suffering from spondylitis deformans, a crippling disability causing the bones of her spine to fuse together. Whatever the proper diagnosis it was obvious for all to see that she was a woman suffering from a crippling disability, she was stooped over in pain.

Satan had attacked her and bound her up and caused her to live like a hobbled animal. I can see her with her body bent over, eyes toward the ground, unable to hold her head up high, a position of forced humility. There is no doubt this woman struggle with discouragement, and depression; and she had been this way for 18 years. Anyone with a prolonged disability would tell us of the difficulty they experience everyday living with a disability.

But this woman had not become angry with God, and quit the synagogue; she made her way as a daughter of Abraham to worship at the synagogue.

She did not allow her condition to keep her from worship.

Satan’s cruelty in crippling this woman is an example of his hatred for all of us, Satan desires to cripple, corrupt, and condemn every person he can.

Her physical condition is a picture of our spiritual condition: Satan seeks to Rob man of his dominion and dignity and degrade him, and turn him into a slave. Few people have bent-backs physically; but morally and spiritually all people find themselves bent and bowed sin, and they have no power to free themselves.

Like Pilgrim, in Pilgrim’s progress all of us have a heavy burden of sin on our backs that bends us over. She was crippled by Satan.

But thank God she was:

b. Cured by the Savior.

V:12-Read.

On this particular Sabbath this woman shuffled in, and slowly took her place, no one noticed her… except Jesus. There was no one else there that could free her from this debilitating spiritual bondage; and there is no one that can free you from the debilitating spiritual bondage of your sin. You and I cannot get rid of our back-bending, back-breaking burden of sin. But we have a savior who can lift the burden of our sin, and straighten us up!

Notice that it is the Lord Jesus who takes the initiative! Thank God we have an initiative taking Savior!

· Jesus saw her-V:12.

Jesus saw her walk in, he watched her walk to her seat, and with eyes of love and grace he paid attention to her. In that culture she was the lowest of the low, she was a woman, and she had a disability. No one else would look at her, speak to her, and they would certainly not touch her; but Jesus did. Jesus saw her that means He perceived her need, he knew what she needed. Today Jesus sees you, he looks right into your heart; and he knows what you need! Everyone else may have ignored her, but Jesus noticed her right away and understood her case. Jesus had compassion on this lady.

· Jesus called her-V:12.

Jesus refused to leave her where she was in her terrible condition, struggling under the weight of demonic oppression. So the Lord Jesus called her, to leave her place and come to him. Jesus was inviting her to meet him, and receive the healing and transformation only he could provide!

· Jesus spoke to her-V:12.

Jesus spoke to her, and set her free from Satan and the grip he had on her life. Jesus words indicate that she was forever set free from her crippling condition. This was a divine display of the fact that the kingdom had come. Jesus began his ministry in the synagogue of Nazareth where he read from the scroll of Isaiah.

-“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised”.

Casting out this demon, and delivering this woman was a sign that the kingdom of God was here, because the king was here.

-“If I with the finger of God cast out demons, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you”.

· Jesus touched her-V:13.

In those days this woman was considered untouchable, the ruler of the synagogue would certainly not touch this disabled woman. But Jesus reached out and touch this cripple woman.

And the moment Jesus touched her, she stood and straightened up.

I can see Jesus as he reaches his gentle hands toward her and encourages her and helps her to straighten up to her full height, her back straightens, her neck straightens and her head is held high. For 18 long years she had been disabled, bent over, eyes to the ground, spirit and soul devastated. But one touch from Jesus, and the devil’s work was undone, and the woman was fully cured!

Maybe you’re here today, are listening on the radio, or watching on the Internet; you have been looking for someone who loves you completely, and knows you intimately, who can touch your heart and transform your life; I want to tell you today there is one who can, and his name is Jesus!

When this lady is healed and set free,

V:13-“immediately she was made straight, and glorified God”.

Can you see her? Standing straight and tall, her eyes focused on Jesus, her hands in the air, her soul set free, and with a heart full of gratitude she’s glorifying and praising God! She is giving God all the glory for her transformation!

This true account of this woman’s deliverance shows us how Jesus saves us from the brokenness, and burden of our sin.

First, Jesus saw us in need.

Looking down from heaven, Jesus saw our lost and fallen race, bowed low by the bondage of Satan. And Jesus had compassion on us, and became a man and went to the cross and died for our sins that we might be set free, forgiven, rescued, and saved from the penalty and power of our sin.

Secondly, Jesus calls us to himself by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The saving gospel of deliverance from Satan’s power is preached to us, the Holy Spirit convicts us and calls us to trust in Jesus. When we repent of our sin, and trust in Jesus he touches us by his grace, and saves our souls. In response to the saving liberating grace of God we begin to praise and glorify God for his great salvation.

Today, Jesus loves you, he sees your need, he is speaking to you right now through this preacher, and he calls you to turn from your sin, and trust in him and be saved!

If you think no one knows about your situation…Jesus knows all your troubles: the burden of your guilt, the torment of Satan, the struggle in your life, and in love he calls you.

There is no case that is incurable with Jesus, no matter how long you have been in bondage to your sin; Jesus can set you free and Save your soul.

You do not need to wait another day, come to Jesus this morning! Jesus can save you from any deformity in your soul; and one day by the power of the resurrection, he will deliver us from all physical disabilities as well, and give you a brand-new body! The physical miracle in this lady’s life shows the cure that Jesus will bring when he comes again. When Jesus comes for his church; the blind will see, the deaf will hear, and the lame will walk! One day Jesus will say to you like he said to this woman: you are freed from your disability, he will give us new bodies that will be young and strong forever. How does God’s kingdom grow? One transformed person at a time!

How does God’s kingdom grow?

2. By Valuing People More than Religion.

V:14-17.

Now you would think that everyone would be happy that this woman had been healed. But sadly that is not the case; as soon as this woman was healed, and began to praise God, the ruler of the synagogue through a wet blanket on the crowd.

Something is bad wrong with this guy!

Something is wrong when a person sees a life transformed, and becomes angry because they value their man-made rules about the Sabbath, above people. The kingdom of God had come, but this man refused to accept Jesus kingdom rule.

The Bible says he was indignant, angry, upset that this miracle had taken place on the Sabbath.

He was a chicken; instead of speaking directly to Jesus, who is who he had a problem with; Mr. happy-pants spoke to the people telling them don’t come to be healed on the Sabbath day, come some other day. It didn’t matter what day they came, he couldn’t do anything for them!

Someone said about him, his heart was pumping formaldehyde, and he was breathing arsenic.

This man’s priorities were all confused; and instead of glorifying God for the healing that he had seen, he is criticizing Jesus for healing on the Sabbath day. Jesus had a running battle with the Pharisees and their man-made rules about the Sabbath.

The ruler of the synagogue thought he was a guardian of the law, a protector of the kingdom, when in reality he was confused about the Sabbath. He did not understand what the kingdom of God was all about. So Jesus is going to correct his priorities.V:15-Read.

As the ruler of the synagogue one of his responsibilities was to provide spiritual and practical care for the people in his spiritual community, especially the disabled.

He had no compassion on this woman suffering and no joy in her salvation. What is the greatest commandment? To love the Lord your God… And to love your neighbor as yourself.

This man had made a priority out of something that wasn’t God’s priority! He missed the point of the Sabbath altogether, he valued religion over the woman! Jesus rebukes him and seeks to correct his thinking. He asked the man two questions: Do you give your animals water on the Sabbath? Shouldn’t this woman be set free on the Sabbath? Notice that Luke says in:

V:15-“the Lord then answered…

Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath, and Jesus says the Sabbath was a day of rest, worship and mercy.

Jesus says, how can you take care of animals, and have no mercy or love in your heart to take care of this woman.

If an animal needed a drink, give them a drink, and the ruler of the synagogue had no problem with that. If only he had cared as much for people; as he did his man-made religion.

How could he have a problem with the human being coming and receiving a healing touch from Jesus on the Sabbath?

If the Sabbath was good for a thirsty animals, it was even better for a crippled woman. Jesus is teaching us to be on guard against making the wrong things a priority.

We must make sure that our human traditions are never more important to us than helping someone who needs Jesus touch! We must not defend our preferences and keep people away from the grace of Jesus! The kingdom of God grows not because of religion, our human traditions, preferences, likes and dislikes, but by loving and caring for people!

Back in , Jesus goes to the home of the Pharisee, and a woman who was a sinner came and was so overwhelmed by her emotions that she wept and wash Jesus feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. The Pharisee said, if Jesus was the Christ, he would know what kind of woman this is and he would not let her touch him. Jesus knew who that woman was, he knew all about her and He saved and forgave her. Because Jesus loves People!

Dead, hypocritical, pharisaical self-righteous people never understand the grace of God in salvation.

They think that Jesus is after good people,

self-righteous people; but Jesus said it is the sick people who need a physician.

Jesus always made people, all kinds of people his priority!

In , they said she shouldn’t be touching him. In , they said he shouldn’t be touching her.

Jesus says, today, the Sabbath day, every day is the right day for God’s kingdom work to be done.

Jesus wants us; to show the same love, compassion and grace to people that he did. God’s kingdom work is to be done every day of the week; but certainly it should be done on the Lord’s Day, Sunday. The first day of the week when we gather and people from every walk of life gather in this place they must be received with open arms!

That little lady’s trip to the synagogue was difficult, it took a lot of physical effort and energy to get there. But what a blessing she received that day in the synagogue. What a blessing we receive when we meet Jesus for worship on Sunday! How sad that many people with healthy bodies find excuses to not come to the house of God on Sunday.

J.C. Ryle said, “let us never forget that our feelings about Sunday are a sure test of the state of our souls. The man who can find no pleasure in giving God one day in the week, is unfit for heaven. Heaven itself is nothing but an eternal Sunday. If we cannot enjoy a few hours in God service once a week in this world, it is plain that we could not enjoy an eternity in his service in the world to come”.

Why are we in this place on Sunday? What is the priority of this house, and of our ministry, and all your life? It is worshiping the living Lord Jesus, preaching the gospel that people bound by their sin might be forgiven through the cross, and set free!

It is a day to minister comfort to the grieving, kindness to the children and elderly, to pray for the hurting, and leave this place determined to reach our community with the gospel. Don’t get confused, and think that the church is here for you and me and our agenda, our preferences, our likes and dislikes! The kingdom of God grows as we keep the main thing the main thing! We can be a part of people receiving a spiritually healing encounter with Jesus, we can see people discipled, we can prepare people for his everlasting kingdom, where death is destroyed, the devil is defeated, and every disability is cured by Jesus!

After Jesus rebuked the ruler of the synagogue were told in V:17, he was humiliated, and the people rejoiced over the glorious things that were done by Jesus. The woman was praising God and now the people join in, and where praising God! They turned that house into a house of praise!

How does God’s Kingdom grow?

3. By Refusing to Discount the Small Things.

V:18-21.

In these few verses we meet a man sowing a mustard seed in the ground. And a woman putting leaven in a batch of dough.

Now the first word in V:18, is a conjunction, the King James uses the word “then”. The NSAB, uses the word “so”. The ESV uses the word “therefore”.

It connects what has been said, to what is going to say next.

V:18-Read.

What do you think the kingdom of God is like? And what shall I compare it to? It is a rhetorical question because Jesus gives them the answer.

It’s like a mustard seed that a man plants in his garden. The mustard seed was the smallest seed that the Jewish farmer planted, and yet it grew to the largest plant, it would grow to 15 feet tall. Birds could come and build their nest in its branches.

This is a reference to the Old Testament, where God’s kingdom would grow so large that all the kingdoms of the world would be affected by it.

Jesus is teaching that his kingdom would embrace all the nations of the world. God’s kingdom starts small, but it will continue to grow in influence.

V:21, God’s kingdom is like yeast which a woman put in a batch of dough until the whole lump of dough was penetrated.

Internally the kingdom of God would transform the whole of human life, God’s kingdom will penetrate every part of your life.

These are two encouraging pictures from the farmer and the Baker. The kingdom of God will grow outwardly and inwardly be brought to a glorious consummation, even though its beginning is small and insignificant.

Think about how true this is in the life and ministry of Jesus and the church:

When Jesus was born, wise men came from the East to Jerusalem, to the palace of Herod. They asked Herod where is he that is born King of the Jews…

Where do they find King Jesus? They found him in a stable, lying in animal feeding trough. What an insignificant place for a king to be born.

You would think you’d find a king in a palace, lying on a royal bed; but the King of the universe, the God of creation was lying in a manger.

When Jesus the carpenter from Nazareth began his earthly ministry; he picked 12 men, who were they? They were not princes or nobles, or the elite of the rabbis, or Pharisees. No! They were fishermen, tax collectors, some of the most unlikely characters.

They follow Jesus and they found him calling, touching, healing the most unlikely people. I can imagine them getting up in the morning and saying to one another, I wonder who Jesus will call today; and someone would say I guarantee you it won’t be anyone we expect.

Sure enough, he calls this unlikely, crippled, insignificant, most unlikely woman forward and heals her. And in the miracle the power of the kingdom of God is seen. Even though it was seemingly small, and insignificant, it was evidence that something tremendous was taking place.

What do you think the kingdom of God is like?

Is it only a large crusade, where thousands of people are saved? Is it only a huge ministry of mercy to a ravaged community?

Jesus said the kingdom of God is like this tiny seed; it’s like this this small batch of yeast.

It is like this one little handicap lady being transformed by the touch of Jesus. That’s how the kingdom grows! It is in this act of kindness, in this touch of grace, in this prayer of concern, in that dish for a grieving family, in that visit to that person’s house. You can’t see the yeast, you don’t know what’s happening, but you can be sure that when you plant the yeast of the gospel it will go to work.

Be encouraged, God really does work in ways that are small, and insignificant to establish his kingdom. Sometimes when I’m discouraged, I will wonder:

· Is there anything great happening here?

· Am I doing any good here?

· Can anything great happened here?

God this is Springfield Missouri, the Midwest, can anything great come from Springfield?

Then the Lord reminds me, Eddie, haven’t you been reading your Bible, don’t you understand what it says? Don’t you see how God’s kingdom grows?

God chooses some of the most unlikely people and the most unlikely places to accomplish his kingdom work. He does this that no flesh when glory in his presence.

Paul told us in -“God did not choose many mighty, noble, wise, or powerful to accomplish his work…

But God chose the weak, and the foolish to confound the wise and the strong that no flesh would glory in his presence, God gets the glory!

So when someone looks at what is happening they say they did not do that, they couldn’t do that… You’re just a mustard seed, you’re just a batch of yeast; you’re just a Jug-head.

Don’t be guilty of thinking that you are too small, are that is not important, or that some act is too small or insignificant. No! The Old Testament prophet tells us, despise not the day of small things! The Lord Jesus used Ex-convicts, ex-prostitutes,

ex-tax-collectors, ex-murderers, ex-lying, cursing fishermen to build and grow his kingdom; and God can use you and me to!

Some of you here this morning need what this woman experienced. You need Jesus to lay his powerful hands on you and straighten you up, so you can praise God.

Jesus is calling you, come to him like this lady did and let him straight you up today!

Jesus can touch your life, and use you in his kingdom work; remember little flock it is the father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.