Sunday School Lesson

Mark chapter 4. Mark chapter 4. Let's begin reading in verse 30. Mark chapter 4 verse 30. And he said, where into shall we liken the kingdom of God, or with what comparison shall we compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which when it is sown in the earth is less than all the seeds that be in the earth. But when it is sown, it groweth up and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches, so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it. And with many such parables spake he the word unto them as they were able to hear it.

Let's pray together. Lord, we come to you in the name of your son and we give you thanks for bringing us here and giving us another opportunity to worship you. And Lord, we ask that you would bless us with a worship service, that you would keep us from just going through the motions, but Lord, that you would be with us and that you would speak to us. or we ask that you would continue your gospel in this place that you would continue to cause your gospel to be preached and that you would feed your sheep. We ask Lord that you would save our loved ones for Christ's sake that you would reveal yourself to your people in your due time. We ask that you'd be with our pastor and bring him home safely to us. We ask that you would in this day bless the preaching of your gospel and all your congregations and to your people. It's in Christ's name and for Christ's sake that we pray, amen.

Our Lord gave 10 parables in the gospels speaking on this topic of the kingdom of God. And today what we're going to consider is known as the parable of the mustard seed. Now it says in verse 30, and he said, where unto shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what comparison shall we compare it?

Now the kingdom of God is a topic that is of utmost interest to the Lord's people. And the kingdom of God speaks of heaven. It speaks of the church today. The Lord's people are members of a spiritual church in Christ. It speaks of God himself, really first and foremost of God himself. The kingdom of God is really about the king. That is the primary topic of the kingdom of God is the king. Now in John 18 verse 36, our Lord said, my kingdom is not of this world.

So this is not a worldly thing, but a spiritual thing. This is a thing above. But what a parable does is it gives us an earthly story and an earthly example so that we might understand something that is not of this world, but something that is spiritual. And that's what this is, the parable of the mustard seed. Now the parable has vast meaning. The gospel is so vast and so deep in this parable. There is certainly more gospel in this than what I will preach today.

I'm just scratching the surface of it. But for today, we're going to consider this parable as a picture of two things, of Christ himself and his finished work, and of what God-given faith is and what God-given faith does. So let's consider it first as a picture of Christ. Now it says in verse 30, and he said, where unto shall we liken the kingdom of God, or with what comparison shall we compare it?

It is like a grain of mustard seed. So what is significant about a mustard seed? A mustard seed is a very small seed, one of the smallest seeds. And the tree, the mustard tree that grows from the seed, is a lot bigger than you would think that seed would bring. It was used back in the day when somebody would want to describe something as very small, they would say it is as small as a mustard seed. That's how small this seed is.

Now in Matthew 1, verse 23, it said, Behold, a virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, which being interpreted is God with us. Now our Lord came into this earth as a seed, and our Lord could have come any way he wanted to.

And you would think God Almighty coming into this world, you would think the world would have stopped. You would have thought the sun would have just shined on him. He would have descended from heaven with trumpets playing. This is God Almighty, the sovereign one, the one in control over all things, the one that the seas and the wind obey.

And yet he came into this earth like we all did, as a seed. What a small beginning our Lord had. It didn't look like anything different than we are. And what the parable is, is that when the Lord came into this earth, a seed was planted in this earth. That the seed of God came into this earth and nothing was the same after that seed was planted. This earth has never been the same since the Lord came. into this earth. What an amazing thing that he actually came into this earth. God Almighty came and planted his seed into this earth.

Verse 31 says, it is like a grain of mustard seed, which when it is sown in the earth is less than all the seeds that be in the earth. Didn't look like anything different than any of us being born. Came just like we did as a seed. Verse 32, but when it is sown, it groweth up. and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches, so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it. But when it is sown, it groweth up, it groweth as a tree. Now let's turn to Revelation chapter 22. Revelation chapter 22. Revelation 22 verse 14. Revelation 22 verse 14, blessed are they that do his commandments that they may have right to the tree of life and may enter in through the gates into the city.

Now, our Lord was described many times in the scripture as a tree, and here he's called the tree of life. And that's what the parable of the tree is, is the life, the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, what was the life of Christ? It was a sinless life. He had a beginning and he had an end on this earth, and he never sinned. He was perfect in works, He was perfect in keeping the commandments. He was perfect in faith to God, perfect in belief. He was holy, just as holy as God was. He was man just as we are, and yet God just as God is today in heaven. That was the life of Christ. It was a perfect life. It was a flawless life. It was a life that only God could live. Let's turn back to our text. Verse 32.

But when it is sown, it groweth up and becometh greater than all herbs. It says in Job 33 verse 12, I will answer thee that God is greater than man. God is truly great, and he is so much greater than we can even comprehend, than we can even preach. We could preach him as great as we can, as high as we can, and he is truly so much greater and higher than even we could preach him. We're just, we see through a glass dimly. We see his holiness very dimly, but he is truly the great God, the high God.

It says, it shooteth out great branches. Now let's turn to Jeremiah 23 for a second. Jeremiah 23. Shooteth out great branches, this tree. Jeremiah 23, and look at verse five. Jeremiah 23 verse 5 Behold the days come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a righteous branch and the king shall reign and prosper and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth the righteous branch and And you notice the branches capitalized, capital B, that's a name for our Lord, the righteous branch. This tree is a righteous tree. Now the fowls of the air, it says they rest in the tree, they're in the tree.

Now we are resting on the Lord's righteousness. That is what upholds us before God and keeps us from eternal punishment. But that's also where our protection comes from, is the righteousness of God. The shadow, the branches is what we lean on, And it's what gives us shade. It's what protects us. That's what the parable shows. That this tree has utmost protection for the Lord's people. It says back in our text at the end of verse 32, so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it. Now that is where we come in to the picture. We are the fowls of the air. And this shadow of the Lord's body is where we rest.

Now it says in Luke 5 verse 32, I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Now the righteous branch and the tree of life, it is not for the righteous. The righteous don't need a righteous branch. They don't need the protection of the righteous branch. The sinner is the one that needs the protection. And that's who this is for. If you are a sinner, this tree is your place of comfort. If you're not a sinner, you don't need the protection. you have your own righteousness.

So the parable is God as the seed, God as the origin. The seed is the origin of the tree, it is the source of the tree. And that is what this shows, is that when the Lord came into this earth, the seed was planted. And the tree is the life of Christ, the finished work of Christ. The parable is that when he said, it is finished, There stood the tree, the finished work of God. And it is a tree that will not wither away, and it will not fall, it will not ever die. It is the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. And the fowls of the air are protection in the tree. The birds can be in that tree. There's birds in trees every day. You might not see them, but they're still in the tree.

And that is where our protection lies, is in the body Christ that is the parable of the mustard seed is our Lord Jesus Christ Now let's consider it as God-given faith faith in Christ now. We're talking about saving faith We are not talking about a false faith We are not talking about faith in ourselves faith in anything other than the God of the Bible another God we're not talking about faith and there being no God and on the topic of faith I feel as though we give a lot of reverence to strong faith, but strong faith in the wrong thing is of no value to you. What's important is what the faith is in, and that's what we're going to see in the parable. What's important is not what the faith is in, but who the faith is in. Who is the faith in? Now, every tree starts as a seed. And the picture in the parable of the mustard seed is that faith begins and belief begins when the Lord plants a seed in the heart of one of his people. And this is something that the Lord must do. We do not plant it ourselves. We do not tend to it ourselves. We don't sow it ourselves. The Lord must sovereignly and graciously do this for us.

Let's turn to Hebrews 12 for a second. Hebrews chapter 12. Hebrews chapter 12, verse one. Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher, of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Now that is the faith shown in this parable. It is faith that God is the author and finisher of, that he is the beginning and the end of.

Who gave you the faith? Not what your faith is in. Who gave you the faith? Who maintains your faith until the end? Faith in Christ will always start with Him and it will always end with Him. And in that time in the middle, through our end life, He will maintain our faith. He will keep our faith in Him.

Turn to Ephesians 2. Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians chapter 2 verse 8, For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. The seed being planted, being given faith in Christ is a gift.

And that means that it's not something that we ever deserved. It's not something we ever looked for. We never asked the Lord for this faith. The Lord just gave us the faith. When we weren't even looking for it, we just found ourselves having faith in him.

That's what happens when the Lord plants the seed. It is a gift of God. And I would say this to anybody that does not know our Lord, who he has not revealed himself to, the seed being planted This is a small seed. It says a grain of mustard seed. The gospel does not always just hit us in the face like a ton of bricks. It can be something very small. It can be one scripture. It can be one thing that a pastor said.

It can be one thing that maybe you just hear for the first time and it just sounds differently. You say, I haven't heard that in that way before. Or, wow, that's amazing. Wow, that's interesting. Don't just let that pass you by and just roll off your shoulder.

Notice it and consider it and ask that the Lord would give you more of those little things because that might be the Lord planting a seed. That might be the Lord for the first time giving you faith in Christ, God-given faith. So don't just let it happen and then move on. Think about it, consider it, pray that the Lord would give you more of those things. Now when a seed is planted, when the Lord, the parable is, that's when the Lord saves one of his people and gives them faith in Christ, when the seed is planted in the heart. Now when that happens, a tree will grow. Faith will grow in Christ. Now let's turn to Psalm chapter one for a second. Psalm chapter one, look at verse three. Psalm chapter 1 verse 3 the scripture speaking of the Lord's people. Psalm 1 verse 3.

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth his fruit in his season. His leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. Now, if the seed is in Christ, it will be planted by the water, the Lord will see to it, it will not wither away, and it will prosper through the end.

Faith in anything other than Christ can wither away. I've had that happen many times, you have faith in People, you have faith in yourself and you fail. And the faith goes away, but not faith in Christ. God-given faith will stay until the very end. Now the tree, the mustard tree as a picture of our faith, just like all trees are different, all faith is different. Not different in its origin, not different in that it's in something other than Christ, but there is strong faith. And there is weak faith, and there is tall faith, and there is small faith. Now, let's turn to Matthew chapter 17 for a second, and I'll show you this in scripture. Matthew 17. Look at verse 20. Matthew 17, verse 20.

And Jesus said unto them, because of your unbelief, for verily I say unto you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove, and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

Now that passage says two things. Number one, it shows that the parable of the mustard seed is indeed about faith. It said faith as a grain of mustard seed, very small faith. And it also shows that even small faith saves. It is not the size of the faith that saves, it is what the faith is in, and who gave the faith, and is it faith in the God of the Bible, or is it faith in something else?

Now with that said, I would still wanna have strong faith. And more than strong faith, I would love to have consistent faith. I would love to have faith that does not change based on my worldly earthly circumstances and is sometimes very strong faith I feel and other times it feels like my faith is on the floor. I would love to have consistent faith consistently strong faith.

If you want to know something of consistently strong faith you look to the faith of Christ not in the faith of a man but in the faith of Christ the son's faith in the father. that from the time the seed was planted, from the time he came into this earth, never was unfaithful to God.

Perfect, strong faith. All the way up until the Father forsook him. All the way up until he was punished. He was never unfaithful to God. Now my earthly circumstances that cause my faith to be weak, they don't touch the cross. There's never been pain like God had to endure at the cross bearing the sin of His people and He was still faithful in that.

The faith of the Father in the Son to come into this evil world and never sin and accomplish salvation for His people. what faith the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit have in each other. That is the example of great faith. If you want to have strong faith and consistent faith, just look to that. That's the only faith that is worth looking to. Now let's turn back to our text, Mark chapter four. Mark four, verse 33.

And with many such parables spake he the word unto them as they were able to hear it. Now these parables, again he gave 10 parables, and the parables must be understood only by the Lord giving ability to understand them. We will not just, if we don't, if the Lord doesn't give us the ability to understand them, it'll just be an earthly example that we won't get anything out of.

But he must give the ability, he gave the ability this day, I hope he will give us the ability today. And this thing of God giving ability, there are so many commandments in the scriptures that are concerning to me. The command to believe, the command to have faith, the command to cast away our works, the command to forsake our ways, the command to confess our sins, the command to trust in Christ. But I remind you that with the command will come the ability to keep the command. Our Lord does not give us these commands. He doesn't give us these parables, give us these scriptures, and then just leave it to us to figure it out and to keep these commandments.

He gives the ability. He is the tree planted. He is the tree grown. He is start to finish. He is the alpha and omega. He gives all ability to believe. When we are commanded to believe, it will come with the ability to keep that commandment. That is the beauty of the Lord, and that is complete salvation. That is when He said, it is finished. That shows that. It is start to finish. It is complete. There is nothing left for us to do. There is no Outward, you know, we don't try to Do these commandments the Lord will give us by his grace the ability to do it and by his grace He'll give us the ability to see in this parable Christ and God-given faith. All right

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