The Powerful Parable of The Mustard Seed | Mark 4:30-34 | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (Gospel of Mark)

Mark, chapter four, together please. I know you agree with me when I say that it's an honor to open God's word and it is a wonderful blessing to sing God's word. Right? And we sang God's word so clearly. I mean, we had, like, five sermons already.

But now we come to the scripture, the scripture that has been ordained for us this afternoon. And I ask you to point your finger there at verse 30 for a moment as we will deal with another parable. If you were here last week, you know that we explored a unique parable that is exclusively found in the gospel of Mark, and our hearts were prayerfully strengthened as we understood that that parable provided insight regarding our function and God's responsibility when it comes to the kingdom of God growing and advancing in our world. And surely, it was a relief for these early disciples when they understood and learned from their master that it was God's word with its automatic power that has the sole ability to transform the life that has received the truth into their hearts. It is in no need of human ingenuity to produce results.

There's nothing that we can add to the power of the spirit behind the truth of sacred scripture that would help it produce what only God can produce. And whatever encouragement these disciples felt in that moment will only increase now. It's about to intensify because the Lord is about to reveal yet another glorious promise connected to the advancement of his purposes from generation to generation. But before you and I look at this parable that holds that promise, you have to understand that these disciples did not say yes to the call of Jesus Christ in a day like ours. They did not choose to follow the Lord when it was generally and culturally acceptable to be a Christian.

They didn't they didn't say yes to following Jesus when there were tens of thousands of churches that were already planted across the nations. There were no bible schools. There were no private Christian schools. There were no libraries filled with gospel themed books. There were no conferences every single year.

There was none of that. And sure, they had the son of God living and standing and breathing before them, but they have not yet comprehended the extent of his mission and his message and how expansive it would be. They didn't have the full confidence yet, and you can imagine how and why, especially when around them is the growing contention and conflict and resistance from the religious leaders and the differing opinions of the masses. Where is this all heading to? What is this going to lead to?

What is this going to ultimately guarantee? And what the Lord is going to do now is not just show them as he did last week the capability of God's word. He is now going to stamp on their hearts the confidence that they need to realize that the movement that they joined has a glorious end, has a glorious finish, has a glorious outcome. And we read it here in verse 30 of Mark four. And he said, with what can we compare the kingdom of God or what parable shall we use for it?

It is like a grain of mustard seed which when sown on the ground is the smallest of all the seeds on earth. Yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes larger than all the other garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade. With many such parables, he spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it. He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples, he explained everything. In this parable, you and I are going to draw out incredible insights that will bless your faith as you, I hope and pray, have also said yes to the call of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I pray that as you sit here this afternoon, you are a true disciple and a true servant of the living God. And how we're going to understand these insights is by putting them under three headings, and the headings are very simple to remember. Number one, we will look at the smallness of the seed, the smallness of the seed. From there, we will look at the success of the seed. And finally, we will look at the suggestion of the seed.

The smallness of the seed is found here in verse thirty and thirty one. We realize that Jesus mentioned something that he has mentioned before, and it's something you've probably read over and over again. But I wonder this afternoon if you've ever stopped to ask the question, what is that? What does that really mean? What I'm referring to is this, the kingdom of God.

Jesus loved to preach about the kingdom of God. Jesus loved to explain components and realities around the kingdom of God, but I wonder if believers know what the kingdom of God really is. Is it the church? Or is it something else? Is it literal or is it spiritual?

Is it present or is it future? What is the kingdom of God? And I think a good place to start is a simple definition. What is a kingdom? And it's not complicated.

A kingdom is any place, any region, any territory, any country that is governed by a king, that is ruled by a monarch, that is overruled by a ruler in this capacity. And when Jesus says about the kingdom of God and explains about it, what he's essentially saying is, there is a government that has been, that will be, and forever will be ruled by the almighty, the kingdom of God. And when you understand that the kingdom of God is just that, then you kinda just make the equation from there. Because you and I understand that from the beginning of this book, we see that our God is in fact the king of all kings. He is the creator and sustainer of all sustainer of all things.

Everything in this universe is under his under his authority. And if that is the case, then maybe we make this simple answer then the kingdom of God surely must mean that everything belongs to him. And the universe is the kingdom of God because he's the king over all the universe, and that may seem like a quick relief to this apparent mystery, but we have some problems if we just leave it at that. We have some problems because you were with us in Mark chapter one, were you not? And do you not read what Jesus said there in verse fourteen and fifteen out of his own lips?

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel. Right from the gate, we are introduced to in the gospel mark about the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God. History has known many kingdoms that have risen and fallen, but God's word is concerned about and centered on one reality, the kingdom of God.

But if the kingdom of God is a king ruling over things and we know that God rules over all things, then how is it that Jesus would come on the scene and say, well, it is at hand. It is at hand. Which is a way of saying it is close, it is near, it is ready to introduce itself. How do we marry those two things when we have so many old testament descriptions and declarations that we have a king in heaven? We sang it.

He does observe and manage and control and determine all things only for the son of God to come and say, it is at hand. It is at hand. Surely the concept of the kingdom of God is much more complex than we would like it to be. But but if you just pay attention a little bit longer, you'll realize that it's it's pretty clear. When we understand the kingdom of God, we know that it undoubtedly is defined by the fact that our God rules over every sphere and arena of life.

But when you come to the New Testament, you realize that the kingdom of God is more specifically the rule of God through his appointed Messiah. Through his appointed Messiah, It speaks of the era when the Lord Jesus Christ, the son of God, son of David, promised one, comes and breaks into our world, establishes a physical throne, and will from there govern everything. Everything from the nations to nature itself and all the details in between. So a very simple definition of the kingdom of God is the rule of God, the reign of God exercised by the son of God. And this is why we can believe that, yes, there always was a king, but the kingdom of God coming and arriving through the sun is is more manifested in the fact that it will be Jesus who will rule and reign.

And perhaps you're sitting there wondering, well, that makes a little bit more sense, but how do we reconcile that understanding with different parts in the New Testament where Jesus says something along the lines of the kingdom of God is in the midst of you. The kingdom of God is in the midst of you. Luke seventeen twenty one. He told that to the group of Pharisees who are wondering, when is this whole thing happening? Are you are you the one that we're supposed to be waiting for?

If you're supposedly the king that the prophet spoke of and the psalmist wrote about then, where's your kingdom? And Jesus looks at him and says, in the midst of you. Well, is it at hand? Is it arriving? Is it here?

How do we make sense of this? And and here's how we solve that. Jesus could say the kingdom is in the midst of you because the king of the kingdom was in the midst of them. I'm here. Yeah.

The kingdom is in the midst of you. And Jesus, through his authority over disease and demons, his his deliverance, his power were glimpses, were flares, were sparks of the glory of God and the authority and the dominion of God that showed the people there is something happening here. And so, yes, the kingdom of God was at hand, and yes, Jesus could say at one point in his ministry, it is in the midst of you, but there's still other things that are not clicking yet, not connecting fully. Because there are other parables where Jesus alludes to a future aspect of the kingdom. There is a kingdom to come.

And through parables and even direct teaching and even answering the questions of the disciples in acts one, will you now restore the kingdom of Israel? And the Lord graciously and patiently says, that's not for you to figure out. That's not for you to understand the specific time or the hour. Just go preach the gospel. I will empower you with my Holy Spirit.

It will come. It will happen. And we even see that in the Lord's prayer when the Lord instructs his disciples, pray this, may your kingdom come. Well, I thought it was in the midst already. So is it there or is it not there?

And here's how we can solve all of this dilemma. The kingdom of God was in the midst of them because Jesus the king was in the midst of them. And when Jesus arrived on the scene, he inaugurated the kingdom. He set it into motion. He came and he pressed start, but he did not fully manifest it.

And through his ministry, he did not yet complete it. But you and I understand that as Jesus did inaugurate it with his first coming, it will be consummated when he returns. And so the kingdom of God will know its full manifestation at the consummation of the age when the Lord will indeed, yes, come again. And when he comes, he will plant the flag and the banner of his name on every hilltop. And he will for a thousand years with absolute unmatched, unchallenged authority prove the kingdom of God.

That is the final stage that we are awaiting. And so it is a present and not yet understanding of the kingdom of God. But if that is the case, then you and I, the church, how does that fit into all of this? Are we the kingdom of God? Is Jesus teaching the kingdom of God as a synonymous term for the local church sprinkled across the globe?

The church of Jesus Christ is not the kingdom of God, though she is an expression of it. She is an expression of the kingdom of God, not the full definition of the kingdom of God. And so how do we make sense of that? Well, we are like what a country would be when it has an embassy in it. An embassy being a a foreign representation of a different country established in place in a different land.

And that is exactly what you are. You're not just somebody who comes to sit on a pew every Sunday. No. No. No.

You are an ambassador of Jesus Christ, and you have a citizenship in heaven. And Christ, though there is a future aspect, the final phase of his kingdom manifesting in our world, he still rules in heaven today with absolute authority, dominion, wisdom, glory, and power, and he governs the hearts of those who have accepted him as the king of their lives. And they submit their lives joyfully under his law, the law of his kingdom, which is continually in operation. And what we do, our purpose here in this world as ambassadors who are a part of this institution that represents the kingdom, this embassy, We try to recruit others, and we try to show others that this king that we represent, he purchased a heavenly citizenship for you with his blood. Would you accept it?

Would you accept it? And we demonstrate to the world as we submit to his law and obey him and worship him day to day. We exemplify to the world what it's like to live under this kingdom and what it's like to have this king as our king, and that it would stir hearts prayfully to say, I want that king. I want that king to be my king, and I wanna be among the number when his kingdom fully and finally comes. So you see, you and I here as the church, we have a very important role to play.

We have a very we are we are rolling out the carpet, so to speak, for the king and the kingdom to fully come. And we have a duty. We have a duty to represent it well by the help of the Holy Spirit. That is how you and I understand the kingdom of God on this side of the cross. That is not how these disciples understood it at this point of their development in the school of Christ.

The kingdom of God. You know how they understood it? They had selective reading, just like many of the Jews of that day. They were waiting for, you know this well, a David like figure who would arise from the tribe of Judah and with swift military strength and power would cancel all oppression, would restore the nation of Israel, and it would be the triumphant light of the nations where all other nations would come and receive from and and receive some kind of guidance from, from the Lord who would sit upon that mountain. That's what they're waiting for.

They're waiting for something that is unmistakable, overwhelming, and lightning fast. And you read that when Jesus talks to those disciples on the road to Emmaus, you get an idea of how even some, like Christians today, they did not fathom that, and they could not accept the idea of a messiah, of a king, of the anointed one, suffering and dying. How do we merge those two things? There's a kingdom coming. How can he die?

How can he subject himself to other authority and other power? How can he be overwhelmed? He's the one who's supposed to overwhelm. And so this is what they're looking for. And up to this point, this man from Nazareth who's doing these amazing signs and wonders, they're convinced this has to be him.

This this is the one that the prophet spoke of. This is the one that we've studied ever since we were children. Surely this is him. They've they've at least believed that much. And as now they stand before their teacher, the teacher of teachers, the glorious king, telling them about the kingdom of God.

Finally, he says, what shall we compare the kingdom to? To what parable should we point to? And there the disciples waiting and understanding in their own hearts. Yeah. Yeah.

What is it gonna be like? Tell us. It's like a mustard seed. Like a what? And I can imagine them looking at one another.

Did he just say what we thought he said? Like a mustard seed. The kingdom is like a mustard seed. And to emphasize the point, yeah, like the mustard seed, the smallest seed of all the earth. Now as a side note, people like to jump on that to try to discredit the inerrancy of the Bible by saying there are smaller seeds than mustard seeds that you can find.

Understandable. Nobody's debating that, and we're not here trying to claim that Jesus is making a scientific statement about agriculture. That's not what the Lord is doing. We know that Jesus used the mustard seed in another place in Matthew seventeen twenty when he talked about equality of faith that is like what? A mustard seed.

And so he's speaking with an expression that must have been familiar in his day. It was a proverbial expression. It was hyperbolic. Mustard seeds were commonly used in Israel, and there were, if not the smallest seed used in that land, and it was just part of their expression when you wanted to refer to something or compare something with the smallness of its size. And so Jesus is just borrowing something that was common of the day, and using it and applying it in his own teachings.

He's he's a wonderful teacher. He's relevant in that regards. So again, we're not we're not here trying to say that Jesus is making accurate descriptions of seeds and plants. He's just making a point. Making a point that they would have understood.

And I'm sure it startled them when they understood that the kingdom of God with all its glory and might and majesty and strength is like a mustard seed. How can it be? Christ is making the simple point. My kingdom may seem inconsequential. It may seem insignificant.

It may seem overlooked. It may seem so vulnerable that it can be crushed in a moment, but I want you to understand something. It's gonna grow. And it's gonna grow. Not just to be among other things, it will be the greatest.

And it will cause other kingdoms and all governments to sit in the shadow of my authority. This is how they're understanding. This is what he's trying to say, and this is extremely valuable for the disciples to hear because they're just a group of 12. And already they're they're hearing the grumblings and the rumblings and the plots of this thing being eradicated before it even starts. And the Lord wants to assure them prophetically, it's gonna start small my boys.

Listen up here my future apostles. It doesn't seem impressive today, but just wait. And it will be beyond your life, but just trust my words that from generation to generation, my kingdom is only going to increase in this world. And so they're hearing this, and hopefully they're understanding this. And I wonder what went through their minds.

We're not told. We can't say dogmatically. But I wonder if they had enough understanding of the old testament. If one particular text came in mind, this is a text that came to my mind when seeing and understanding what Jesus meant here, and it was found in Zechariah chapter four. And I would invite you to turn there for a moment.

And the prophet Zechariah, what's happening here is this generation of the nation of Israel has returned from exile. Babylon was used by God as an instrument of judgment to remove the nation of Israel, at least the tribe of Judah, the Southern kingdom away from their land and to plant them in a foreign place. And he's chastising them, but he promised them restoration. You will come back. And finally, they get they did.

They arrived back. And now they're trying to restore all that was brought to rubble. Nebuchadnezzar brought everything down to find powder, including the house of God, the temple of God. And so here they are trying to build everything back again and try to go back to normal and hopefully try to restore the glory that they lost because of their sin. And they're discouraged.

This generation is dejected. They're discouraged primarily because as they laid the foundation of the temple again, they felt like this is not what it was like when Solomon was here. This is not what it was like what after Solomon did, what is this? What and they despised it. They had contempt in their hearts toward it.

It was the work of their hands, and they knew that they were received God's favor again and permission again to restore everything that was lost, but they're they're just not the same. It's not what we hoped for. So the Lord speaks through his prophet, and he speaks to this generation. And he says in verse eight of Zechariah four, and the word of the Lord came to me saying, the hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house. His hands shall also complete it.

Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. Verse 10, for whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. Whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice. That's how God referred to that season in the life of these people. The day of small things when the efforts don't seem to be effective, when the fruit seems to take too long to produce, when the hopes and dreams and prayers seem to be delayed and nothing seems to move forward.

Nothing seems to expand. Nothing seems to grow. It's just just like a slab of concrete that nothing is added on. And this prophecy is the Lord telling them, you're gonna rejoice. This is not the end of it.

This is just the beginning of it, and you can't see the end from the beginning like I can, so you have to trust what I'm saying. It will be completed. Something will come out of this. And you know what I take from this? I was looking at verse 10 specifically, and it reveals to me, and it reveals I hope to you that it is man, it is man who is prone to despise small things, but not God.

God didn't say, and God didn't express a shared contempt of the humble beginnings of the nation of Israel. He didn't say, and we who have despised the day of small things, we shall rejoice. He doesn't include himself. He is the encourager. He's the one who is outside of their dejection and is trying to infuse them with the faith.

The faith to believe that this is just the beginning, and there's so much more in store. And so it is man who tends to be unimpressed with what is before them, and to think to themselves, is this it? You and I listen. This is not gonna help those who are not serious about seeing the kingdom of God advance, but it will help those who are eager to see the kingdom of God advance. We are so often tempted to write off and to give up and to turn our backs on the very efforts of our own hands, though it is for the glory of God.

And all the while, through this verse, you have to understand, our Lord has a completely different perspective on the whole thing. A completely different perspective. And the reason why we tend to look down on the thing that we want to do for the glory of God is because as I said earlier, God sees the end from the beginning. You don't, and neither do I. And so all the Lord is asking for through this prophecy is faith.

Believe it. And understand that your investment is not in vain. Your investment is not in vain. And this generation hopefully would have understood that. I want you to see who our God is more in this in this regard.

I want you to turn to Romans 15 verse five, and look at this title that the Holy Spirit gives to the Father, and understand that it is so important for you and I to grasp for ourselves. Romans fifteen five. I pray that you would never forget this reference about our God. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another in accordance with Christ Jesus. May the God of encouragement.

God is a God of encouragement. Do you understand that? That is exactly what he was doing through Zechariah to those people who returned to their land. He wanted to encourage them as they were serving him. He didn't criticize them.

He didn't agree with them. He didn't fuel their disappointment. He wanted to fuel their faith. And if God is a God of encouragement, again, for the person who is serving the Lord, and perhaps you are a little, just a little even, or even more than a little disappointed, wondering if this is worth it, ready to quit on serving God in the particular place that he has put you. Understand what I'm saying?

The thoughts that come into your mind that cause you to despise the work of the Lord, that cause you to unnecessarily criticize your faithfulness, and whether or not you are truly a servant of God. Because here, if you're truly a servant of God, this should have happened by now. If those thoughts come crashing in or haunt you at night, understand this, it's not God. Because he's the God of encouragement. He looks at his people serving him and he says, keep going.

This will be completed. You will rejoice. Yet you may sow tears in night, but you will in the morning reap a harvest. Believe it. Keep moving forward.

Keep pressing on. Keep discipling. Keep raising. Keep teaching. Keep praying.

Keep studying. Keep witnessing. Don't despise it. Don't estimate with your limited view. Don't calculate your results and equate it to your effectiveness.

He's the God of encouragement. So I know one thing. Right? I know one thing that as I am endeavoring to please my God, when those things come rushing into my heart, you really cut out for this? Is this really really what you thought would happen?

More should have happened. Whatever the case may be, I know one thing in that moment according to Romans fifteen five, my God is the God of encouragement. He doesn't make me less excited about serving him. He doesn't make me less filled with faith as I'm serving him. Oh, so then you can understand and put all those thoughts away and realize that is not my king because he's the God of encouragement.

And if he's the God of encouragement and we are his people, then let's be a people of encouragement. And let's look at one another and encourage each other in the faith more and more for his glory. And that is something that you and I have to see under the reality of the the smallness of the seed. Do not despise the day of small things. That was true for the nation of Israel then.

It was true for the disciples. In Mark chapter four, it's true for you and I today. The smallness of the seed. The success of the seed. Whatever startled hearts they had in that moment, it would have been conned by the next point that Jesus was about to make in the next verse.

He tells them, and yet when it is sown, it grows up. It grows up becoming larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade. These disciples had no reason to fear after that truth. They had no reason to be concerned. They had now ultimate confidence in realizing that they are part of a movement that would not be shaken.

It's not gonna fail. You are part of a establishment that will encompass the globe. And I want you to think about that. The fact that you and I are sitting here in 2023 in Chicago, Illinois, worshiping week after week, all started with a band of men in the countryside of Judea scratching their heads and trying to wonder how how is the kingdom of God like a mustard seed? Isn't that incredible?

And we're just one piece of the grand masterpiece of the kingdom of God advancing across this world. And we see here that this ministry that began in Galilee would one day take over everything as Jesus predicted. But here's some controversy. You like controversy? There's some controversy around this parable saying what?

It seems so simple and clear. Yes. But it has to do with Jesus's words here at the last part of verse 32. He says, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade. What's the big deal?

Do you remember when Jesus shared the parable of the sower? There was the first soil that he mentioned, and with that soil he mentioned the invasion of what? Birds. These birds came and they plucked up the seed from the surface of that hardened path. And when you're there at Mark four, look at verse 13.

Jesus gives the interpretation of what the birds are. And these are the ones along the path when the word is sown, when they hear Satan. Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. Now here's why that's important. Because when Jesus gave the parable to sower, he corrected and rebuked his disciples who didn't understand, and he says, how then will you understand all the other parables?

Which tells me that in the parable of the sowers are keys to interpret future parables. And this one's not too future from what he just said in the parable of the sower. It's very near. It's in the same context. What are you saying?

Here's what I'm saying. That you have some who would interpret this in the following way. If the birds in the parable of the sower signify Satan's activity, then surely it must mean the same here in the parable of the mustard seed. The idea is that as the church enlarges and gains more ground over the generations, the infiltration of Satan and his emissaries will also emerge. They will lodge in the midst of Christendom.

The Lord here is what some would believe. The Lord here is predicting that there will be with the growth of my kingdom and my church, servants of unrighteousness, clothed in righteousness, supposed righteousness, fake righteousness, a facade righteousness, and will be in the midst of my people with a destructive purpose. So it's almost like a warning. Yes, the the seed is going to grow and become this wonderfully large plant, but with it will attract Satan's assaults and his attempt to pervert and to pollute my kingdom. Some have a problem with that interpretation.

And and the one that I just gave is not the popular one. What you have others who would say is, well, okay, I understand that but the way Jesus shares about the parable of the mustard seed, the way his languages implies that the birds coming in is a good thing. Right? So we read that the the plant will grow, and then he says, so that the birds of the air can make nests in the branches. So that a desired outcome, the birds should be coming.

In fact, the kingdom is growing. The tree is growing in order for the birds to be able to find a home. And again, you you can't fully understand the new without the old and these men had some grasp of the old testament and surely the word of God in flesh has perfect understanding of his own word. And so could it be that a text like Ezekiel seventeen twenty three is what the Lord is alluding to when it says here about a prophecy about the kingdom, on the mountain height of Israel will I plant it that I may bear branches and produce fruit and become a noble cedar. And under it will dwell every kind of bird in the shade of its branches, birds of every sort will nest.

I can tell you one thing about the birds in Ezekiel 17, not talking about demons. What is he talking about? Gentile inclusion. Every kind of bird, every sort will nest once I plant my kingdom on this mountain and it has its full expression made known. Could it be that Jesus is referring to the same thing?

That these birds will come and they will find stability, they will find shade, they will find peace, they will find security under the kingdom that is ruled and reigned by Jesus Christ himself. It's not just confined to the Jews now. It's now open to the nations now, and the nations can come and say, he's also my king. The son of David is also my master, my lord, my king. Regardless of what point you hold to, even if it's to the former one that I just explained, even if those birds are unwelcome things, the end result is still the same of Jesus' parable.

These birds that come and lodge in the branches, they're not like the parable of the sower where they actually are succeeding and removing some kind of influence. No, they're just sitting there. They're just sitting there and and the tree is still a tree. The plant has still fully grown. Nothing could thwart that, and that's exactly the point.

So wherever you say, why hold to that? Why hold to that? Realize that what Jesus is declaring is still the same. His kingdom will come. Regardless of the pushback of Satan, regardless of all the armies that will come on that day of Armageddon, and raise their fists and their weapons to the heavens, Christ will come with one breath and deal with them.

He'll deal with them. The success is inevitable. It's clear, it's obvious, and now we come to the suggestion of the seed. What does this mean for us? I know this is more of a teaching than preaching.

I know that you're learning things in terms of definition and theological implications and all that. But what does that mean for you? How does understanding the past of the kingdom of God, the beginnings of the kingdom of God, and its continuous progress and evolution, How does that help me now? Do I just hold on and wait and just trust that it's gonna happen? Yeah.

Sure. It helped the disciples who were starting out, the the pioneers of the movement. You can understand how this parable would have been a sigh of relief. K. Good.

We're headed in the right direction. Our Lord who never lies promised that this will be good. And I'll I'll just I'll just give you one. One practical application and understanding that you are part of the kingdom of God. And it's in Hebrews 12.

And we read here in verse 28. Therefore, let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken. And thus, let us offer to God acceptable worship with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. I hope you wouldn't disagree with me if I said that, generally speaking, people yearn to be a part of something that will enhance their quality of life. And that's why these guys on YouTube that are like entrepreneurs and motivational speakers, that's why they're so viral and attractive.

Because people want to enhance their quality of life, and they're willing to make great investments, whether that be in personal discipline or some kind of plan or idea that might most promise them a future of stability and solidity. And you see that in many ways. Some of you have left a country that had an oppressive regime to be here in America because you saw that there was promise of greater freedom and opportunity. And and you have people, young people who are willing to make great sacrifices and take great risk in order to start something, whether it's a business or an idea or invent something in order to promise them a more prosperous future. People are making investments all the time.

In fact, that's that's really what life is, unless there's something drastically wrong with you or you you've reached a place of such destitution that you don't even care. People are constantly trying. That's why you go to school. That's why you get a job. That's why you work out.

That's why you you try to stay on that diet is because you want to see something come out of an investment that would ultimately profit you. And as as good as that might be, and as as healthy as that might be, understand, and you know this, that there are risks in any investment. In any investment that you make, even if it's good and if it's not necessarily evil, it's still a risk. And yet you try to measure your ROI, your return on investment, and what's the best place that can minimize those risks, but there are still risks. Even if you go to the gym, you can hurt yourself.

Whatever the case may be. And here's the thing, in the past three years, if if the church has learned anything, the world I can see has understood it, but if the church has learned anything, it is this. Everything can be shaken. Even this wonderful country with its glorious constitution. Right?

And the American dream. Oh, how quick the American dream can become a nightmare. Everything can be shaken. And as Jesus said, even gifts, even if you didn't make an investment, even if somebody handed you something and put it in your hand, Did he not say that moth can destroy it? Did he not say that rust can erode it?

Did he not say that a thief can come in and break it and take it and profit from it? Yeah, we come to Hebrews 12 and we realize that in a world that is marked by a people, a humanity, ever since the beginning that long for purpose and hope, and to do anything that they can to ensure a greater purpose and a lasting hope, you and I have been given something that is unshakable. Unshakable. Untouchable, immovable, guaranteed success. It will not be taken from us by foreign enemies.

It it will not erode after centuries. It will not be usurped. It will not be dominated by anything nor will it be even stunted by the failures of its followers. We are told that this kingdom is invincible. Invincible.

Meaning, you will be on the good side. You will be on the profitable side when King Jesus comes back. And you will know unending joy, unending peace, true prosperity, fullness of love, fullness of strength and vigor, ultimate happiness and blessing that does not have an expiration date on it. That is a promise and here's the best part, you didn't earn it. You didn't work for it.

You didn't get a loan, nor did you try to impress the king. The king with his blood gave it. And we're told here in Hebrews 12 what? That we have received this kingdom. It's a gift.

It's a gift. You know, you look at the book of acts and you see how in different occurrences, Paul's Roman citizenship really came to help him. Really came to help him. And I always looked at that and I and I thought, yeah, there there's some practical teachings there of how if you are in a place, you are in a nation or region that does offer you some kind of freedom, take advantage of it for the gospel of Jesus Christ. Yes.

Point to a secular law if it's going to help you advance and sustain and proclaim the gospel. But a thought came to my mind. How much more should we be able to realize the great joy and security we have with our heavenly citizenship? I know you don't see it now because you're still in a life where you have to make natural investments, but it's really gonna come in handy when the king comes and he says, where are my citizens? And you can say, I'm yours.

I have my citizenship and it's stamped with the blood of Jesus Christ. And you will not sit on the judgment floor, you will sit and rule and reign with him. So what do we do with that knowledge? Do we rejoice then? No.

Hebrew says rejoice now. And give God worship, and give him awe, and let your praise be reverential. And let it not just be Sunday morning where you try to sing, let it be something that you do throughout your week as you are an ambassador of this kingdom. That's the point. That's what we take from this.

That's what we're supposed to do. Realize that it's coming. He predicted it. And so far, after two thousand years, can I tell you something? He's been right.

If he's been right the past two thousand years, I can guarantee you, he's gonna be right for the next thousand years. And so understand that the suggestion of the seed, the parable of the mustard seed is this, you who are his citizens, worship him. Worship your king now. Love him now. Crown him with praises now so that when he comes to really be crowned, you'll be ready and not ashamed.

Not ashamed. I have not been a citizen of your kingdom faithfully, oh Lord. Please forgive me. No. No.

No. We've been waiting for you, king Jesus. We believed you when we heard about your parable there in Mark chapter four, that indeed your kingdom would come to full fruition. And we've been anticipating your arrival. Come now and have your rest.

Rule and reign forever. You are worthy. You are worthy. You are worthy. And let me tell you this, if you don't believe Jesus is king, he's gonna be king anyway.

Because as one pastor said it, when Jesus comes, one of the things that he will most likely do is arrive and look at the scale of the horizon of our world, take out those righteous pierced hands and say, mine, mine, mine, mine, and you can't stop him. No one will be able to stop him. So I invite you on the Sunday afternoon. I don't know if you expected more of a pep talk, but I invite you this Sunday afternoon to bow your knee to king Jesus. He is lord.

He died. He was buried, and he rose from the grave, and he he will come again. And we are told there by second Peter that he waits patiently. He waits patiently to break the skies open and come because once he comes, there there is no chance to reverse this thing. There's no second chance, in fact.

Once he comes, it's final. His kingdom will be established. It will grow. It will take over. But the reason why he has been waiting these past two thousand years is because he wants your heart.

My son, give me your heart. My son, my daughter, I want you to realize that I created you my image, but you are not truly a child of God like the popular opinion might say until you receive the son of God as your savior and Lord. Are you ready? Are you ready for his arrival? If you think that this world is permanent, just take a little history lesson and realize that no matter how great empires have been, they have all fallen.

And no matter how wonderful America has been and prayfully will continue to be, America is not the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God will have America and every every other nation for that matter. And the only thing that will matter is whether or not you have received the king before the king has come. Repent and believe. Put your trust in the savior's blood before it's too late.

Seek him for mercy and he will give it. Seek him for forgiveness. And if it's truly from the heart, you will be forgiven. Not just forgiven, the Holy Spirit of God will seal you, and he will put that citizenship that has been purchased by the blood of Christ in the safest place possible. Where is that?

The faithfulness of God. He will not reject you. He will not push you away. He will not cancel you. Like that temple in Zachariah, what was started, he will complete.

Lord, we thank you for this word. And we ask, oh, God, that the mustard seed with all of its truths would renew our faith and our worship in the reality of the kingdom of God. You reign. You have always reigned, but we anticipate the reign of the Messiah fulfilling the prophecies made to David. We ask, Lord, if there's even one who is not confident about their status in your kingdom, that today would be the turning point.

And for those who are, who have given their hearts to you, we ask, Lord, that worship would be renewed, that what was said would really make an impact on how we view our lives, our investments in this world, and when all things might shake, and if they do crumble, and if they do fail us, to be able to know that we have something that cannot be taken. It's imperishable. It's reserved. It's awaiting, and we will know it, and it will be kept forever. This is our joy, and we sing to you, oh, Lord.

Help us to see beyond this life. Help us to see into the future and realize what this means, and may you receive the necessary glory as a result in Jesus name. Amen. Let's stand together.