Celebrate the Small Stuff

Pray that God’s Word would come alive as it is presented; that the words that would be spoken would be blessed and anointed by the Holy Spirit.

Don’t you love the time of year where we get to enjoy God’s bounty?

All things from God’s bounty seem to be bigger, better and more readily available.  I love when you can enjoy great items from a farmers markets and know it was freshly grown and the taste is amazing!!!

When you think about it how it all begins, it is completely amazing to me. How a tiny seed can grow into something as delicious as a watermelon. Quite the difference in the size but without the seeds the watermelon is not possible.

Today, I want us to focus our attention on the following: 1. Purpose of the church 2. Purpose of the mustard seed 3. Purpose of Evangelism

Let’s take a look at our text.

Mark 4:26–34 NLT

Jesus also said, “The Kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, while he’s asleep or awake, the seed sprouts and grows, but he does not understand how it happens. The earth produces the crops on its own. First a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and finally the grain ripens. And as soon as the grain is ready, the farmer comes and harvests it with a sickle, for the harvest time has come.” Jesus said, “How can I describe the Kingdom of God? What story should I use to illustrate it? It is like a mustard seed planted in the ground. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of all garden plants; it grows long branches, and birds can make nests in its shade.” Jesus used many similar stories and illustrations to teach the people as much as they could understand. In fact, in his public ministry he never taught without using parables; but afterward, when he was alone with his disciples, he explained everything to them.

Purpose of the church The church is here to:

plant the seed

tend it

sew it

harvest it all for the Glory of God. 

I know you have heard me say before that our church is a lighthouse in this community and it is truth.

It is a place where:

seeds are sown and planted

where we come for food and water

where we learn to pass on what we have learned to those inside and outside of the church.

Jesus takes time to teach us and tell us that God’s kingdom is a spiritual kingdom, not an earthly kingdom.

Luke 17:20–21 NLT

One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, “When will the Kingdom of God come?” Jesus replied, “The Kingdom of God can’t be detected by visible signs. You won’t be able to say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘It’s over there!’ For the Kingdom of God is already among you.”

God’s earthly kingdom is found in the hearts of God’s people.  God establishes His kingdom in the hearts of people through the planting of his word in our hearts.

Romans 10:17 NIV

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

Just as a seed has some mysterious and wonderful power to grow and produce a wonderful harvest in fields and gardens. 

God’s word has the mysterious and wonderful power to grow in the hearts of people.  And those people in turn produce a harvest for the Lord. 

Ask any farmer or gardener and they will quickly tell you that the person who sows the seed has nothing to do with the power, through which the seed grows. You see the importance of getting into the word of God?

Take a look at 1 Cor. 3:7

1 Corinthians 3:7 NLT

It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow.

The good news however is that the seed, which has just sprouted, and the seed that has reached maturity have an equal place in God’s kingdom.  God plants the seeds of faith, not us. 

So those who are young in their faith those whose faith has matured still receive the gift of salvation and eternal life.  

That gift is given to you and to me freely through the Holy Spirit. 

Again remember what Paul tells us in

Ephesians 2:8–10 NKJV

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

We share our faith and live by it and others see it and receive it and the kingdom of God grows. It grows within the hearts of all men in which the Holy Spirit successfully plants the Word. 

Once the seed is planted it prospers, even though His word may remain hidden at times, it is silently growing.  Take heart mother, father, sister, brother, husband, and wife. Your loved ones hear His Word and seeds are planted and will grow and take root. He is at work in your loved ones!

God promised that in His word spoken through Isaiah,

Isaiah 55:10–11 NLT

“The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.

I have seen in the past few years especially through attending Kids Rock camp. I was reminded in thinking about our times there of what happens when the church is at work fulfilling its purpose. I saw hundreds of kids desiring God in all of His fullness to speak to them.  They were crying out to receive more and more of God.

I got to see firsthand what happens when the seed of God is planted in the hearts of only little seeds (little children).  It results in a great desire for God!

I have seen children at the altar hours after the service was over crying out and asking Jesus for more of Him, to baptise them in the Holy Spirit, give me everything you want for me God! Powerful!!!!

It was a demonstration of a budding harvest of followers of Christ. This brings me to my second point:

Purpose of the Mustard see

We live in a time where bigger seems to be better. But we need to take the lesson the mustard seed to heart.  It may be small but it has great potential! 

We live in a time where the church is portrayed as small, weak, and not relevant to the needs of the times. 

I am here to remind our church today that more than ever before we need to remember the parable of the mustard seed and the power that is at our disposal when we put it to use! More than ever we need to take up the challenge presented here. We are people who like convenience we don’t like to wait for things. We want it to be our way right away!

Today we are spoiled with our canned, bottled, and packaged fooda.

But in Jesus’ day almost everyone had their own garden. An integral part of the garden in Jesus’ day was the mustard plant.

The mustard plant was well known for it’s:

Corrective power in disease

Efficacy against venom

It’s fiery vigor – it was the one spice that poor people used as a condiment

Pungent taste that represents the quickening, stimulating power of the gospel.

Yes, for such a small beginning, there comes a greater potential than what is expected given the face value of the sower of the seed. Truly the mustard seed beginning of One man and His disciples has become “greater than all herbs.”

Jesus + 12 + 70 + 500 + 3000 at Pentecost. Then we see the gospel spread all over the world.

God used the original 12 unlettered and unlearned men to start global evangelism.

He can use us too if we are willing to become the seed. We should never think of ourselves as being too small to make a difference. We should not limit ourselves, and what God wants to do in and through us because of fear or pride.

It may seem at first that we have no effect, but if we continue to sow the smallest of seeds and repeat the process faithfully, soon we see the effects of our small beginnings being repeated as the results become larger.

We are at a pivitol time in our church. We have a fresh start and fresh vision. We need to take a moment and celebrate the small stuff!

We need to focus on the mustard seeds that are being planted as a result of being faithful to God. We need to continue to the word yes but look at the little things that have been working together to make a big difference.

Things may not look the same but that does not mean that God is not in it.

I believe that God is leading us and guiding us as we have prayed for him to do so. There have been and will be those who question that or even ask me to go in a different direction. But I ask you as your pastor that I have asked God for direction and guidance. Please don’t disrespect that!

We are called to support our leaders, to trust and pray for them.

Hebrews 13:17 NLT

Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.

We honor our leadership, our pastor by supporting them, praying for them. It is the duty of members of the church to defend and support pastors and leaders. It is easy to speak against those in leadership because we do not see the whole picture clearly. Not all the details can be made known but if we truly believe these are the persons God has put in place to lead us why would we speak against them? Why would we not support them?

If we believe scripture to be the guide to lead us then this is part of God’s Word that we need to remember and follow also.

2 Timothy 4:14–17 NIV

Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message. At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth.

Hell’s hit list has pastors and church leaders on it. Therefore, it is our job and duty to defend and stand with our pastors and leaders and to not let them be treated as a door mat or punching bag.

Small group ministry is where we are fostering healthy discussion and challenges in God’s word for the adults in our church/community. We are doing a great study on Tuesdays. This is where we get together build one another up and pray for each other. Where God will challenge us for the good in our lives!

Thirdly today we need to see:

Purpose of Evangelism

It is of course similar to the churches purpose! To tell people about Jesus to plant the seed! Why do you think this parable was given to us?

To challenge us to find out positions and take up our cross and follow Jesus We need to recognize our job as Christians are not to stand idly by and expect others to hear about Christ elsewhere. 

There are so many reasons why we need to take the lateness of the hour to heart and do everything we can to share this message with this community. 

We need to realize that it is not one person’s job only!  We are all a part of the body and we all have to work together, we all have an integral part to play to reach this community for Christ.  The onus is now placed on us on an individual level.

What are you doing to ensure that you are reaching the lost for Christ? Which would you take in a thirty day period?

-Billy Graham preaching and 3000 people giving their lives to Christ each night?

Or

- one Christian winning one soul the first day and then those two winning two and then those four winning four and so forth and so on for thirty days?

Well at the end of 30 days, Billy Graham would have seen 1,095,000 persons come to Christ.

The one-to-one method, which started small like the mustard seed would end with, hold onto your seats now, 376,870,952! Do you know why this works?

Life comes from life. The divine vitality and growth of the Christian church comes from sharing our relationship with others and submitting to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

You see, One of the first things to stir in us when we come to Christ should be the desire to see others come to Christ.

Each member is a self-propagating mustard seed. For each believer is to sow and then pray for the harvest. This is the true mission of the church and the Bible informs us that it is the local churches mission to carry out this task.

Today, I want to conclude with a challenge to each of us to pray and ask God to reveal where He needs us to labor?

Where are you willing to be used?

When He reveals this to you are you willing to follow through on it?

Take the time today to celebrate what God has done in you, celebrate the small stuff and you will be on the road to great things in God.

Allow God to speak to your heart in where you are needed most to serve Him in this church.

Make yourself available in your weakness and He through His divine love and mercy will help you to grow strong and confident in service to Him.

The Bible says “Humble yourself in the site of the Lord and He will lift you up!”

Take up the challenge to celebrate the seed planted in you! You are needed, you are necessary and allow God to use you to your full potential