Be Like the Mustard Seed 03.30.22

Announcements:

No youth group during spring break on April 13th.

Camp signups are starting.

Sermon Title:

Be Like the Mustard Seed

Luke 13:18–21 (NIV)

How many of you in this room have been to Hawaii, Europe, the Caribbean? Although you have not been to these places or all of them, can you describe something about them?

How can you describe something or somewhere you have never been? Because your connection to these things or places is based off of an illustration or description of that place.

In this next passage we are going to talk about when Jesus is speaking of the mustard seed and the relation to heaven. Sometimes we think about God wanting us to relate and understand big and mighty things, but instead he wants us to be simple and humble and through those things we can have tremendous growth.

Jesus is speaking this parable to give you some understanding of what the Kingdom of God is like

Passage

Luke 13:18–21 (NIV)

The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast

18 Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? 19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches.”

20 Again he asked, “What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? 21 It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds[a] of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

Point 1:

A mustard seed has no significance when you look at it. It is one of the smallest seeds in the world but yields a lot of growth. A mustard seed is only about 1-2 millimeters but when fully grown a mature plant can be between 6-20 feet high and a width of 20 feet across with some reaching as high as 30 feet tall.

The text is speaking of the relationship we have with Jesus Christ. Through this relationship with Jesus Christ we are so much bigger just like a mustard seed is when grown.

God can use even us even when we feel small, broken or worthless, God is able to take this and produce something mighty because God can do all things.

Point 2:

You may think you are small and lets face it, alone we are. We are insignificant in the vastness of the world, universe, everything, but through God we are able to grow into something that cannot be hidden.

Play VIDEO for size reference to the world and space.

Although you may physically be small like the mustard seed, the Lord wants to use you in big ways and grow you into something bigger than you can imagine.

Colossians 2:6 (ASV 1901)

6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him,

The Lord wants you to grow in the knowledge and understanding of the Lord.

2 Peter 1:5–8 (ASV 1901)

5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So this text we are reading tonight is speaking about how we can be through Jesus in our lives and what we can become. We should be challenged to want to water ourselves with the spirit and grow in knowledge so we can become strong and big like a mustard seed becomes.

We can also find comfort in knowing that this task that seems impossible and overwhelming is not at all because we have who? Jesus Christ in our lives if we accept Him into our hearts and live for Him. Through this process we can grow through what Jesus Christ offers.

Jesus Christ paid the price and gave you all the things you need to do to become fruitful in your life with Him.

If someone hands you a mustard see you can fumble through it and plant it and produce some results.

But what if you had the handbook from the master? Through this handbook it teaches you step by step what to do in order to grow tremendously? This is exactly what we have in Jesus Christ. He gave us the step by step guide through the Word of God to do everything we need to produce ourselves to the fullest of our ability. Just like watering a mustard seed the right way and planting in the right conditions will produce a big healthy tree. God wants us to be a Big healthy Christian through the example of Jesus Christ.

Point 3:

Jesus Christ wants to live with you in your life to guide you into producing yourself into the full potential you have in your life. This is what God gives us through the life of Jesus Christ, a step by step guide.

Point 4:

Now what does this mean for us as we live in this world. Maybe your sitting here tonight and saying that you aren't good enough, your too small and you do not amount too much in the vastness of this world.

You may be always telling yourself that you don’t matter much to anyone and this isn't true. You matter tremendously to God and He wants you to have that relationship with Him so together you can become strong like a mustard tree. You start small like the seed in your own life and through Jesus Christ can grow into something amazing and powerful through the power of Jesus Christ in your life.

Point 5:

So in your life right now you can look in this situation and see that without Jesus Christ we really don’t amount to much when you look at how big the world and universe are. But with Jesus you can become huge in your life and grow the way that God intended you to grow. God knows your potential and you are here in this world to reach that potential, but instead of fumbling around alone and trying to figure things out without a guide, LET JESUS GUIDE YOU. Let His example be what you follow. Let Him turn you from that mustard seed into a tree that can be seen all around your community.

Illustration

Have you seen the mustard seed on the ground in front of you this whole time? Probably not

(Go and pick it up and show the students)

This is your life before Jesus Christ and after you continue to grow in your relationship with Jesus Christ you will grow.

This is what a life with Jesus Christ can give you. Instead of going through your life and wondering “what I could have become with the proper guidance “and instead say, “How big can I become with Jesus Christ in my life?”

Jesus is the perfect example and the one who knows exactly how to make the best tree through all of you. Through Him you all can grow to such a great potential that you never imagined.

Can you grow without Him? to some degree yes, you can fumble and try things and plant that seed and produce some amount of a tree and some people fumble and luck out and make a big tree in their lives as well. But without Jesus Christ in your life its never a solid foundation and without that foundation you never can reach the full potential you were meant for.

Point 6:

People will say that you don’t need Jesus and you can have everything you have ever wanted in the World without Him and to be honest they would be right when it comes to worldly things. But what we are talking about here is your eternity. We are talking about what you will have forever.

James 4:14 says

14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

The time you are in the world is nothing compared to the time you will spend in eternity with God or separated from God depending on how you choose.

Point 7:

You right now are young and have your whole life ahead of you. You are like this mustard seed and have so much potential moving forward. You have the ability to grow into something massive and really make an impact in this world through you and through Jesus Christ you can make that impact and allow His guidance lead you through your life to fulfill your full potential.

Jesus said in

John 18:36,

“My kingdom is not of this world.” His complete mission was to carry out the will of His Father. That was his only purpose. Here is what Jesus said in

Matthew 6:19-21,

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

God wants to build you up in a different way than the world wants. And His growth is something that will last you for eternity instead of just while you are in this world. God wants you to have everything you need here and to be satisfied with it, but He also wants you to have that eternal greatness with Him in His presence.

Point 8:

Jesus came to earth to show you how to live and how to grow to your full potential. All you need to do is make the choice to follow Him in your life and decide that you want to be something greater than this world says you can be. Because through Jesus Christ you will be able to be so much more than you every though and He will guide you through your life if you choose to follow His way.

The question is will you.

Worship, Connect, Grow, Go

Our church speaks of worship, connect, grow and go and today we are going to be focusing on the aspect of growing in our relationship with Jesus Christ. When you make Jesus the focal point of your life and choose to live life for Him and grow in knowledge of that relationship and His words in your life. That is when you will start to see some amazing changes in your life.

Closing

Tonight you can choose if you will stay the mustard seed or if you will allow the Lord to grow in your life. So will you?

Let’s Pray!

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Youth Dinner Questions:

Thursday

Challenge: Pick a bible verse, passage or story and learn about it this week. Write it down.

Friday

When you learn more about Jesus Christ how does that make you feel in your life?

Saturday

Can you find an area in your life where you can grow closer to God?

Sunday

What action steps will I take today to grow closer to God? How can I maintain this?

Monday

What can you do today to begin growing more in Jesus Christ in your life?

Tuesday

Can you recall some stories from previous messages in the book of Luke?

Wednesday

Read Ephesians 4:15-16. What does this mean to you?