Oak Chapel United Methodist Church

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He put before them another parable: “The Kingdom of heaven is like A MUSTARD SEED that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like YEAST that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.” “The kingdom of heaven is like TREASURE hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding ONE PEARL OF GREAT VALUE, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like A NET that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. [Or, as Peterson’s translation says, “The angels will come and cull the bad fish and throw them in the garbage. There will be a lot of desperate complaining, but it won’t do any good.”] (Then, Jesus said), “Have you understood all of this?” They answered, “Yes.” And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”

Jesus is using parables to illustrate what the kingdom of God is really like. He is teaching lessons on the nature of the kingdom, and he’s using short, simple stories about common everyday happenings, from which He hopes His listeners will draw moral or religious lessons. When our Lord Jesus wanted to get a spiritual truth across to ordinary men and women, he spoke in parables, and He made comparisons between homely and familiar situations and truths of great importance. Jesus had many enemies, and one reason he spoke in this manner was to encourage his followers to search for more meaning, while at the same time taking his opponents by surprise. The parables were discouraging to those in his audience who were looking for a political leader and an earthly kingdom. So, a parable can be referred to as an earthly story with a heavenly meaning! Throughout his ministry, Jesus told more than forty parables, and I believe they are just as pertinent to us and our lives today as they once were to those who heard them first-hand from Jesus in Galilee.

When Jesus talks about the MUSTARD SEED and the YEAST, he’s telling us something wonderful and encouraging about God’s kingdom, particularly as it relates to the church, growing very large in comparison to its humble beginnings. When Marie and I were in Israel many years ago, we saw a mustard tree. It was an enormous shrub, probably 12 feet tall, which had started out as a seed smaller than the head of a pin! The conditions under which God’s will is received and obeyed - where God’s redeeming influence is felt - what we call “God’s Kingdom”- starts from the very smallest beginnings, but no one knows where it will end! It’s a fact of history that the greatest things have always started in a small manner. The Church began as a small band of 12 who were willing to follow Jesus. Now, more than 1/4 of the world’s population gives allegiance to Jesus Christ. When Francis Asbury and the early Methodists gathered in Baltimore in 1784, there were 12 circuit-riders for our entire country, but within a generation, Methodism had grown to be the largest Christian movement in America. For one hundred and sixteen years, Oak Chapel Church has been growing from the tiny mustard seed of an idea in the minds of a few who received and obeyed God’s call. If you and I are obedient to God...if we who call ourselves Christians will allow the Holy Spirit to be our Guide, Oak Chapel Church can and will be a beacon, from which the light of Christ can brighten this community. Jesus’ parable of the yeast is about the influence of God’s kingdom. Although the yeast is small compared to the dough, it changes the entire character of the mixture.

God’s people may make up only a small fraction of society, but believers can radically change the entire culture, provided we follow Jesus and, in doing so, show Him to others. Think of the influence John Wesley and his “people called Methodists” had in the mid-1700s in England. Just one preacher and a handful of followers exhibiting Christ-like lives helped spread scriptural holiness throughout England. If we are willing to let God rule in our hearts and lives, and try to follow the Lord, we also can become an influence that far exceeds our numbers.

In the parable of the TREASURE and the PEARL OF GREAT VALUE, Jesus talks about the value and desirability of the kingdom. Some people act as though living in the will of God is like taking a dose of bad medicine! Why, the mere thought of living under God’s rule creates sour expressions on their faces! But please believe me... through the Holy Spirit’s power, when we actually hear and begin to understand the Good News about Jesus Christ, it’s like finding buried treasure. It’s so wonderful it’s a shock, and almost seems too good to be true. It’s hard to believe it’s really happening. I know, because it happened to me! And I have to be honest with you...the kingdom of heaven comes at a price. Following Jesus will cost you everything, but it’ll be worth it! Give yourself to Him, and what you receive will take away any doubts that such an exchange was worth the price!
The story Jesus told of the pearl is about a seeker...one who longs for value and beauty.

When the seeker finds value and beauty, he sells all that he has to possess it. Jesus Christ is the pearl of great value. Are you willing to sacrifice to possess Him? Jesus speaks to each of us today the words that Matthew recorded, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

Today, when we hear the word “net”, most folks think right away about the Internet, and that certainly is a vehicle that can be used to haul in a lot of information, both good and not so good. But in the time of Jesus, NET referred to a drag net, used by fishermen. At the end of a day of fishing, the net would be drawn into the boat and the good fish would be kept, but the bad would be thrown overboard. Although it was 30 years ago this month, I vividly recall receiving communion elements on a hill at Tiberias, overlooking the Sea of Galilee. Gazing over the water, one could clearly make out the fishing boats, and nets being pulled in by hand. I recalled Matthew’s gospel...”As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ Immediately they left their nets and followed him.”

Oak Chapel is much like a drag net. People associate with this outpost of God’s kingdom for all sorts of reasons. Some are truly followers of Jesus Christ...some are trying to act as though they are...but, we’re all in the same net.
The Bible is very clear. One day, the net will be emptied. When Christ returns, there will be a great dividing up. Those who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will be with Him in the eternal kingdom, but those who are only pretending to be Christians will find the door closed. The choices we make today, or have made in the past, will affect us for eternity. The decision is yours, and nobody else can make it for you.

In our lesson from Matthew, Jesus finally asks his disciples if they understand all that He has told them. They said they did understand. They’d all been around Jesus for some time, and had come to know that what He had taught them could be understood only from the inside. In other words, their understanding came only after a personal encounter with our Lord. And that’s the way it is...each of us must have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ before we can truly begin to understand what it means to follow Him, and be His disciple. Our Lord never intended that we should forget all we knew when we came to Him, but that we should see our knowledge in a new light, and use it in service to God. Everyone comes to Jesus with some gift, and He never asks us to give up that gift. So many folks seem to think that becoming a Christian requires spending our lives concentrating on so-called “religious” things.

What He really wants His followers to do is to show others by their lives what Jesus has done for them, and use their gifts in a manner that glorifies God. This morning, we’ve been talking about the kingdom of heaven, and we’ve been looking at some of the things that Jesus says the kingdom is like. He wants us to see the kingdom, and always be prepared to show others what God’s kingdom is like. But there are steps we must take if that’s going to happen. Remember what Jesus said to Nicodemus...”no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above”. That was true in the time of Nicodemus, and it’s just as true today.

So, I ask you...do you know what the kingdom of God is like? Have you invited Jesus to come into your heart, and be known to you as your personal savior? If you’re not absolutely sure of your relationship to Him, I invite you to make certain before you leave here today.
If Christ IS in charge of your life, I challenge you to be a MUSTARD SEED and grow...be YEAST and love others through the power of the Holy Spirit...share the joy that you have in the TREASURE you have found in the PEARL OF GREAT VALUE, who is Jesus. So, I would remind you...Jesus promised that He is coming back after the resurrection. It is now “after the resurrection”, and I pray that each one of us will be ready when He comes.