Luke's Gospel, chapter 13, and we're going to verse 18. The Lord Jesus Christ is speaking and he says, Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? And whereunto shall I resemble it? It is like a grain of mustard seed. which a man took and cast into his garden, and it grew and waxed a great tree, and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it. And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. Amen. May the Lord bless to us this short reading from his word.

As we go through these gospel passages, it is interesting to notice the widespread of subjects and topics that arise from the Lord's teaching in the space of just a few verses. And here in chapter 13, so far, We've heard about Galilean zealots who were slain by Pilate. We've heard about a tower that fell in Siloam, killing 18 people. We've heard about a barren fig tree and a woman bent double for 18 years until she was cured by the great physician on a Sabbath day. much to the annoyance of the Jews in the synagogue. And now we're going to be thinking about a grain of mustard seed and a small portion of leaven.

What a variety that is. What an assortment of lessons the Lord has left to his church. What a rich supply we have of lessons that the Lord has granted to us. The Lord's preaching drew upon current events, personal circumstances of the people around about him, the common everyday items that they would encounter in their lives and scenes that they would have been familiar with. And the Lord drew from these spiritual applications and lessons and communicated gospel truth to his listeners.

These men had died. They were no worse than you. and except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. A tree chopped down, life without the Spirit of Christ is a barren, profitless life. A woman cured and made whole, there is healing of soul and spirit in Jesus Christ and in the substitutionary sacrifice of the Saviour.

And now look, or rather, the Lord speaks to us of a mustard seed and leaven. And he does this to illustrate and illuminate another important spiritual truth. That's the purpose of all of these varied lessons and words from the Saviour. He's speaking here today about the kingdom of God and he uses two examples to explain and convey his message. An example of a tiny seed and of a single cell fungus in order to introduce and convey a spiritual lesson about the gospel and the powerful work of God's grace.

And the Lord, by his own words, would have us learn what the kingdom of God is like. Let me first mention, if I may, a wee thing about this phrase, the kingdom of God. The kingdom, or the kingdom of God, is a common theme in Christ's ministry, where it goes under several different names. Now let me just show you how common and fundamental it was by using simply one example, if I may.

But right at the very beginning of Mark's gospel, we hear about the commencement of the Lord Jesus Christ's ministry. and these are the words that Mark uses to describe it. He says this, now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God and saying, the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent ye and believe the gospel.

So this idea of the kingdom or the kingdom of God was integral to the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. And the Lord in saying to us here that he wants us to learn what the kingdom of God is like, or when he says, Unto what is the kingdom of God like, and whereunto shall I resemble it? He is telling us that this message, this preaching, this gospel that he is here to reveal, he would have us understand what it is representing.

Now let me just say as well, it is here called the kingdom of God, but it is elsewhere called the kingdom of Christ, and it's just the same thing. Sometimes it's called the kingdom of Christ and of God, it's the same thing. Sometimes it's called the kingdom of David, sometimes it's called the kingdom of heaven, or just plain ordinary kingdom. but generally these names all signify the same thing if from slightly different aspects. And that is that here is vested in the Lord Jesus Christ a kingly authority given to him by his Father in his office as the mediator of the covenant of grace.

And that's what is meant by the kingdom. It refers to Christ's rule over the church and all the blessings and privileges that flow from his rule as the king over his kingdom to all his people, citizens, of his kingdom, members of his body, children of his family. And it's this kingdom and indeed the powerful effectual role of the gospel in gathering men and women into this kingdom that is being suggested here by the Lord as he gives us these resemblances. The Lord Jesus Christ is telling us about the work of the gospel in bringing sinners into his church and kingdom. He says, what is the kingdom of God like and what does it resemble? As if to say, how can I explain to you the nature and makeup of the church and how it comes to be in this gospel age of ours?

And that's the lesson behind, the spiritual lesson behind the two metaphors that the Lord here uses, the mustard seed and the leaven. Now I think I've already said tiny several times in what I've said and it seems clear that the tininess, the smallness of a mustard seed and the insubstantial nature of yeast have been purposefully chosen by the Lord to emphasise how from small, seemingly insignificant beginnings, the great and glorious body of the Church has arisen. Matthew and Mark, in other parallel passages, tell us that the mustard seed is the least of all seed. And this man that the Lord speaks about here, he casts the mustard seed into his garden or into the field of the world.

And from there, something great grows. The man represents the Lord. represents his apostles, represents gospel ministers and preachers. Casting forth the seed is preaching the gospel and it's cast out without too much control about where it will land, about how it will be received, about where it will be fixed. The results are not immediate. But in time, and by the care and nurturing of powers beyond the source comprehension, it germinates and it begins to grow.

And this lesson and these images set before the disciples on this occasion must have been very interesting and indeed encouraging for them. They were being told of a kingdom that from small beginnings would increase and fill the earth, just as a mustard seed grows into a tall plant, it's called a tree here, sufficiently large for birds to nest in. Today we talk about little acorns and mighty oaks but it's the same, it's the same picture, it's the same lesson, the same metaphor really. And it's likely that the true nature of this kingdom hadn't quite dawned on the disciples as yet. I suspect, well in fact I know because that continues throughout the Lord's ministry right to the end, that these men still were constrained by this idea of a physical, national, rich and prosperous kingdom after the pattern of King David's kingdom in the Old Testament. Nevertheless, by these inspiring images, the size and the scale of God's purpose for the church was being instilled into these men's minds. It was being conveyed. to them in the Lord's pictures that he painted for them. And it was beginning to form into a greater picture of what their role would be.

The birds of the air that are presented as resting on the branches of this tree that grew from the mustard seed, It's not a reference to Satan or to the birds that steal away the good seed in the parable of the sower. Rather, on this occasion, it's the likeness of redeemed men and women who by gospel preaching are converted and translated out of the world into the church and they find their home, they find their resting places, in the branches of this tree, and they are joined by faith thereby to the body of Christ. And leaven, the other example that is given to us, it's a very insubstantial material. A little leaven can leaven a whole lump of dough. And again, sometimes leaving is likened to sin in the Gospels. But the similitude here, the picture here, is to the huge transformative work, the effect of leaving, despite its small, insubstantial nature and indeed appearance.

And the Lord says in this picture that a woman takes a little leaven and folds it into three measures of meal. I think it's a nice touch that it's a woman here who is used to represent the Lord Jesus Christ and his apostles and all gospel ministers. She is wisdom. the wisdom that brings knowledge, knowledge of lively spiritual truth to ignorant men and women in this world. And this woman places the leaven in the meal as Christ and his gospel preachers of every age preach the message of everlasting life to men and women of their generation.

It's a couple of little applications that I just want to leave with you and then we'll be done. The first one is this. I think that we can draw from these pictures that the Lord has given us here a picture of small beginnings. growing and developing into something much bigger and greater. And we can see that small beginning in the case of the 12 apostles going into all the world to preach the gospel.

At the Lord's ascension, the apostles were gathered together just as he was taken up into heaven. The apostles were gathered together, and we read in Acts 1, verse 6, these words. When they therefore were come together, they asked him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? he said unto them it is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the father hath put in his own power but ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost parts of the earth. And what a huge task it must have seemed when the Lord said this to his apostles. And again in Luke chapter 24 verse 47 when he said to them that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name amongst all nations beginning at Jerusalem.

And yet, we cannot but think that these parables must have assisted in their understanding and encouraged their efforts. because they had that view as they remembered what the Lord had said about the mustard seed. When they remembered what he'd said about the leaving, they understood that there was going to be a great harvest, that there was going to be a mighty movement and change.

And is that not similar for us all? Has not this experience of small, tenuous works continued gospel works, continued in every age? When we think back in church history, are we not invariably thinking about one man, thinking about one ministry, thinking about one location, one place where the Lord was pleased to work? I don't want to appear flippant here, But how many of us could make a list of 12 preachers of free and sovereign grace known to us? I trust that there are many, but my point is that in every place the work of the gospel always seems small and frail and feeble and the success minimal.

And I would contend, in the will of God, intentionally so. Because the Lord would have us not glory in any way in ourselves, but always give the glory to him for the increase that he gives. It ought to be that we rely upon the Lord and the power of the gospel, not the strength of men or the power of numbers or human resources for the accomplishment of this growth.

And yet, if the disciples were encouraged, we should be too. We are their heirs. And by God's grace, we continue to preach the same gospel. The continuing ministry that we share today, and I'm not speaking about we ministers, I'm talking about we here tonight, because we all share in this ministry. It may well be that I have the responsibility laid upon me to speak week by week and declare week by week. But this ministry is a congregational ministry. We are all labouring together. We all put our shoulders to the plough as we engage together in putting the gospel out over the airways, if you like, into the experience of men and women. We share today in the same gospel the same task of sending this message out, and I trust we do so with confidence, that it shall continue to grow just like the mustard seed, just like the leaven.

It will not return void. Our responsibility is planting the seed, leavening the dough, preaching the word, and it is the Lord that will give the increase. And here's another little application. And that is, let us remember that the gospel itself often has small beginnings in the life of an individual, an individual sinner. We don't boast great armies or even great eloquence.

And yet the gospel of Christ works wonders in the life of individuals. The gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation, and we ought not to forget that. For the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

See, it's just a little word, but it's a little word in season and it has the potential of growing into a huge tree. The Lord has richly blessed the church, you and me, with responsibility of preaching the gospel and witnessing to the things that we've seen and heard. It's a little word, it's a small testimony, it's a stuttering remark, But if it is taken up and applied by the Spirit of God, it will reap a mighty harvest.

And lastly, there is often a small beginning in the consciousness of unbelievers when the Gospel is first preached. It's a gentle stirring. It's a whisper. It's maybe a sense of unease and discomfort. a little unease that grows to a sense of neat and a searching for the Lord. And of course, believers' experiences are unique and personal to themselves.

And yet, do we not all find that the little mustard seed planted long ago is still growing, even in our own lives. The leaven is still working deep down in the soul as the Holy Spirit teaches us day by day new things about the Lord. The Lord drew upon the image of a tiny mustard seed and a pinch of leaven in some meal. and from the Lord's own ministry to the ends of the earth, he has been gathering his church and building his kingdom ever since. He is our king, we are his citizens in his kingdom, and yet his kingdom continues to grow and prosper in his hand. May he bless us still to take this gospel of free and sovereign grace. May he bless us still to take the message of a crucified Christ, of an adequate and sufficient substitute to the ears, to the understanding, and ultimately to the hearts of men and women. And may he cause it still further to grow. and may he cause his gospel upon the lips of his people to flourish and prosper. Amen.