This last week we talked about how God’s Kingdom is like a plant that can grow and spread. You can download the sermon here. We began looking in Matthew 13 how in quick succession Jesus tells three parables of the Kingdom, based on plants growing. I shared how Jesus was teaching and talking to farmers who would know a thing or two about growing thing. If the Kingdom is something that can grow ~ farmers would know that it would take hard work. They didn’t have the luxury of the equipment we had. It would take hard work. It would also take time. Growing and harvesting doesn’t happen in a day. And lastly it would take God’s timing, and provision. God was the one who sent the rain, and caused the growth. So seeing this Kingdom grow will take time, hard work, and God’s involvement but it grow.
But what I didn’t tackle or bring up is how God’s Kingdom also grows in a dangerous way.
Jesus says that the Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed in Matthew 13:31. Mustard seeds were in ancient times dangerous and also explosive. They took over, they spread, and couldn’t be controlled. An ancient author Pliny the Elder wrote that mustard “grows wild…and once it has been sown it is scarcely possible to get the place free of it”
I love that picture of the Kingdom. That once it’s sown its scarcely possible to get the place free of it. That it starts to take over, growing, spreading, almost uncontrollable. That if we are spreading this Kingdom of grace and love it spreads, takes root, grows wild, and can’t be contained.
But that also is a bit dangerous. Why? Because this Kingdom of God can’t be controlled by us. It grows, it’s wild, and it is not meant to be contained but to spread. When you start spreading God’s Kingdom you are spreading life, grace, and love that once released can’t be contained.
For me that is a beautiful picture of God’s Kingdom. A Kingdom that grows from small seeds, takes time, hard work, and God’s involement but once it takes root spreads, shakes things up, and is almost impossible to get rid of.
So this week why not spread the seeds of God’s Kingdom? Because wouldn’t a beautiful testimony to you, the church, and Christians be that our communities are so full of God’s kingdom that “it’s scarcely possible to get the place free of it”…
Discussion Questions from This Sunday
- Adult Questions
- How do you “spread the seeds” of the Kingdom?
- Where should you be “scattering the seeds” of God’s Kingdom?
- Who should you be praying for consistently and watching to see if the Kingdom is growing in their life?
- Who in your life is ready and open to growing closer to God? How can you help them?
- Questions for Young Families
- Your kids grow slow just like God’s kingdom. So sit down around the dinner table and ask them how they think they have changed over the past few years, or months. Listen to their ideas. Then take time to bless them – literally. Share how you’ve seen them change, affirm the good things in them, and affirm where they are growing too. Because that’s God’s kingdom.
Weekly Challenge: Spread the seeds of the Kingdom in someone’s life and pray for them daily…
Plattsville Church 
Hmm, well put. Brings back memories! Dad use to pay us kids a penny for every mustard plant we picked! That is until we picked so much so fast, the price was cut in half!! :). That being said, I know I under estimate the amazing power of God’s word.
Thank you for the reminder that we don’t reap in the same season that we sow. That gowing and harvesting doesn’t happen in the same day. Sometimes it can seem like nothing is happening when we are “planting” in the Kingdom – but as you said “with God’s provision” we can hope that those seeds may be sprouting below the surface and out of our sight!
Thanks so much for the comments and encouragement!
If you’d like to hear the sermon here is the download link. https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=15e7145dea25fb1d&id=15E7145DEA25FB1D%21184