The Parable of the Mustard Seed @ WFMC

“The Parables of Life: Mustard Seed Faith”

Matthew 13:31-32 September 2, 2007

As Pastor Keith asked last week, does anyone know what today is? College Football Kick off Sunday? No, it’s Mustard Seed Faith Kickoff Sunday. Ok, that’s not exactly what Keith called it, and yes today is college football kickoff Sunday, but I want to help you launch into this fall with a faith that is significant.

Matthew 13:31-32 – “He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. ³²Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches.”

The Mustard seed plant described here is very different from what we understand. In Palestine, it would be several years before the tree would bear fruit. Mustard, with us, is an annual plant: it is always small, and is properly called an herb. But the Hebrew writers speak of the mustard-tree as one on which they could “climb,” as in a fig-tree. This is because of the climate of Palestine. All plants of this nature grow much larger in a warm climate, like that of Palestine, a warmer climate. The seeds of this tree were remarkably small, especially in relation to the great size of the plant. This made for a perfect illustration of the progress of the church and of the nature of our mustard seed faith journey.

I want you to consider 3 possible responses to this parable message. I might say 3 steps, but as plants grow, one step at a time is enough for any one of us. The first thing we notice about the mustard seed is that…..

Mustard Seed Faith is Significant.

Let me restate this in a more descriptive way: Early on the mustard is seen as weak and small at first, but not insignificant. God wants us to see the conspiracy of the insignificant. Maybethat is where you are today.

q I invited my friend Frank to a ski trip. We learned to ski together at the camp’s ski hill, though small. We fell over and over again. By the end of 3 days on this glorified bunny hill, we were making progress.

q This last week, Little Benjamin Woodworth was standing up when holding on to something. Again he stands, but walking is not an option in his mind yet. But catch this. He knows that if he lets go of the support he also knows to sit down. It takes time to achieve such a feat for a less than one-year old.

q Maybe this is where you are today in your early faith. We have ministries that will help you. Next week, Pastor Keith starts a 3 week series on Sunday mornings to lay out how our Life Together Groups will meet this need. Current groups starting again this fall do the same in giving a person a great place to connect with the Christian life in a safe place.

q The fellowship of today’s dinner, and picnic help us develop growing relationships with each other and the Lord, as trust and love is built among us. This reflects the purpose of Connecting in our church.

q Maybe that is where your Faith is today. The beginning of Mustard Seed faith is a beautiful thing. Even as you look up to others further in their faith, your faith stand today is perfect, but still early in formation. If that is what you need most, then this message is over for you, so sit tight. We’ll eat in just a few minutes.

The second thing we notice about the mustard seed is that…..

The Mustard Seed faith is growing and coming on.

Our seed when put in the right kind of soil, and right kind of atmosphere, will grow. Most of the time we grow and do not know it. But it is happening.

q Frank and I got better and better on that ski hill. Within a day, we had mastered the “big little hill”, and began to set up jumps and slaloms.

q Growing is important isn’t it? Growing means we are moving forward in a number of ways. It could be physical, mental as school begins in just a few days, or spiritual, or maybe all at the same time.

q One way to grow spiritually here is through the Word of God. Here at Westland FM we value what God says in His Word. Whether you are a child, a teen or an adult we have ways for you to grow. For children, it’s on Sunday mornings, right now in the children’s tent out front, or the youth on Thursday nights, or the adults on Wednesday nights in the Midweek Oasis. Information for our fall launch is in your newsletter. It is a Bible Study on Wednesday nights in the Sanctuary. This year we are making some changes taken from the surveys you handed us in the spring, and we will be studying the gospel of Matthew. We launch Midweek Oasis on September 19^th. Don’t miss it.

q This reflects the purpose of Growing in our church.

q Is that where you are this fall, ready to take a mustard seed faith stand, to grow more in your faith in Christ? Today is a great day to kick that off.

The third thing then that we notice about the mustard seed is that…..

Mustard Seed Faith comes to a mature strength and usefulness.

It will last of all, come to a great degree of strength and usefulness. When a tree or plant is planted and grows, the significance and growth are imperative, but the real fruit shows up at the harvest. We are coming into that harvest time this fall.

q After the 3^rd day at the camp’s “big little hill”, the hill became quite small to us. Near the end of that week, we went to the ski slope in the area, and had ten times more fun, for we had mastered the little hill. We were challenged for sure, but were ready. The real fruit was at the foot of the big big hill, and we were more than ready.

q Big question. What if we had stayed at the big little hill? I still have fond memories with my best friend on that big little hill. But if we had stayed on that big little hill, what would have happened? We would have gotten bored. It would get old.

q The purpose reflected here is serving and reaching. You see there was another reason were on that ski trip. My good friend Frank did not know Christ personally. It was on that trip that he made peace with Christ.

q Is that where you are my friend. Are you ready to serve? Finding a place to serve others in our church is what makes everything you will enjoy today happen. Maybe that is where your mustard seed faith is today. Maybe you know it’s time to step up to serve, to reach out to someone in need. We can help you do both of those things.

q Kristyn Woodworth-Reach Coach-Trunk or Treat in Oct., blessing many families thru the FISH food give-away ministry.

q Steve Henke – Mission Trips this year to Mississippi.

Jesus was speaking to his disciples later. They had struggled at one point in ministry to others. A boy demon possessed was among them, and the disciples could not cast the demon out.

We pick up the conversation in Matthew 17:19 – “¹⁹Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” ²⁰He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Where is your mustard seed faith on this fall kickoff Sunday. In the end, all these purposes are alive in our mustard seed life, and they result in one more purpose, worship. What we sing now will illustrate how all of the other purposes of connecting, growing, serving, and reaching, come together in worship.

Are you at the beginning of your life of faith? Would you like to come to Christ today? Confess your sin, and ask Christ Jesus to forgive you of your sins and come into your heart.

Are you searching for significant relationships in your life? It’s right here among us. Choose it.

Are you ready to grow spiritually like never before? Take that specific step of growth.

Are you ready to serve, to reach out. Make this the year to move forward in your walk with God.

It’s always about mustard seed ……………faith, that is.

Let’s sing.