Tabor Baptist Church

• Parable of the growing seed
• Parable of the mustard seed
• What are parables: earthly stories with spiritual meanings
• Jesus often talked in parables
• Easy to remember but difficult to understand
• Jesus explained the parables to His disciples
• Parables are given to those who understand and believe
• Parables have one main point/truth

Parable of the growing seed (v26-29)

• The seed represents the word of God
• He is sowing for a purpose to raise a crop
• One main truth: God's Word will do its work
• Growth is not always seen but it still happens
• We may not see people's conviction of sin, being challenged by the word, but it is happening
• The Christian is then gathered into God's barn

Parable of the mustard seed (v30-32)

• Very encouraging
• The smallest seed in the days of the Old Testament
• The mustard seed would outgrow all other plants
• It will start very small and seem insignificant but spread and spread and spread
• God is going to do great things

What brings lasting change into the World?

• Nelson Mandela - Used by God
• Man can only do so much
• We put our hope in education, politics, money, etc (but this does not change the world)
• Our morals and ethics have changed
• Only God can solve our problems
• God is establishing His invisible Kingdom within our hearts
• It is a spiritual Kingdom
• God is changing society through individual Christians
• E.g. Abolition of slavery, introduction of education, 1904 revival
• God does this through His word
• Only the Word of God changes society
• If the world is left to itself - sin is rife
• Christians need to make an impact
• E.g. Bristol church flash mob singing 'Hark the Herald'

The Growing Seed

• Very encouraging
• Whilst the man is sleeping the shoot is always growing
• We must always believe that there will be a harvest
• Not to be those wondering what is happening
• Not to be those saying it won't happen
• We must believe
• There need not be a frantic hurry - we need to be patient
• We are to be patient with young Christians (they will not come to maturity straight away)
• Why do some Christians seem to suffer in old age?
• God puts in the sickle when the time is right
• God still has a purpose for them until He calls them home at the right time

• Is the word of God speaking to you?
• Today is the day of salvation
• Believe in Him today
• He has begun a good work in you and He will complete it

The Mustard Seed

• Scientifically accurate: it was the smallest seed at the known time
• Proverbial saying: similar saying used by the Arabs and the Jews
• Jesus used language that could be understood
• The Kingdom of God begins in very small ways, in apparent weakness
• Jesus born in the squalor of a stable, taken in Egypt, grow up in Nazareth, became an apprentice to his father Joseph
• Then bursts onto the scene: does great miracles but is surrounding by earthly men
• Crucified on the cross - one disciple betrays Him, one denies Him, the others run away
• But on the cross Jesus' righteousness was given to us and we can know salvation
• The Holy Spirit came down at Pentecost
• The gospel goes t the Jews, then Samaria, then the nations
• It all started small and in seeming insignificance
• God uses the same principles today
• David vs Goliath
• Gideon vs the Midianites
• Samson vs 1000 Philistines
• God uses the same principles today
• A small band of missionaries to the Amazon
• Conversion of Augustine - Romans 13
• Staffordshire Bull
• A W Pink - one word of Scripture
• John Newton - had a dream
• God can use you
• God may be speaking in Sunday school
• The deacon preaching to a young 16 year old boy
• The man convicted by the Lord's Prayer 'Our Father'
• The welshman who went to Korea - spawned the Korean Church

• The Kingdom of God will always increase and never diminish
• Isaiah 9:7
• God's Kingdom will advance
• People might despise us but we are not insignificant because God uses us
• God's word working in us and through us touching other people's lives
• The amazon starts small but ends in a vast river
• God can do great things